PELITA DAILY — Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had a meeting with Belgian King Philippe Leopold Louis Marie at Laeken Palace, Brussels, Wednesday (14/12/2022).

Upon arrival, President Jokowi was greeted directly at the entrance to the Laeken Palace which is the official residence of the Belgian royal family. After taking a group photo, the two of them headed straight to the meeting room.

During the meeting, President Jokowi expressed his appreciation for the relations between the two countries which have existed for more than 70 years.

“For more than 70 years, Belgium has been an important and strategic partner for Indonesia. As part of the Three Nations Commission in 1949, Belgium became an important part of the history of Indonesian independence. Belgium is also one of the European countries that first recognized Indonesia’s independence,” said President Jokowi.

For this reason, President Jokowi also directly invited King Philippe to visit Indonesia.

“I think this closeness is an important asset for the Indonesia-Belgium partnership in the future,” the President explained.

Apart from discussing relations between the two countries, in the meeting which lasted around 30 minutes, President Jokowi also discussed the issue of strengthening economic cooperation, and cooperation in the field of climate change.

Accompanying President Jokowi in the meeting was Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi. ●Red/Alia/BPMI Setpres