7 February 2015 – Indonesian President Joko Widodo will undertake his introductory State Visit to the Philippines on 08-10 February 2015, upon the invitation of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

This is President Widodo’s first State Visit to the Philippines. In the spirit of ASEAN solidarity, it is tradition on the part of a new head of state to immediately conduct introductory visits to fellow ASEAN Member States. President Widodo assumed the Presidency of the Republic of Indonesia on 20 October 2014.

President Widodo is currently on a three-country swing, which has taken him on State Visits to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, with the Philippines being his final stop.

President Widodo will meet with President Aquino to discuss matters of mutual concern, including migrant workers issues, maritime cooperation, defense, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, among others.

Indonesia was the Philippines’ 11th largest trade partner in 2013, with total trade amounting to US$3.62 billion. The Philippines and Indonesia enjoy excellent bilateral relations and cooperate extensively in numerous areas. The two countries recently signed the landmark Agreement Concerning the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone Boundary, on 23 May 2014, effectively clarifying the maritime boundary between Southern Mindanao and North Sulawesi in Indonesia. END