Duterte receives Indonesia's Joko Widodo in Malacañang

 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday rolled out the red carpet in Malacañang for Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is in the Philippines for a state visit.

Jokowi arrived in Kalayaan Grounds at around 3:30 p.m. where he was given arrival honors.

They then proceed to the Reception Hall for the signing of the guestbook.

At 3:40 p.m., Duterte and Widodo held a restricted meeting at the Malacañan Palace's Music Room.

Duterte earlier said he would raise the case of convicted drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso on death row during the restricted meeting if Jokowi would agree to discuss it.

They will then go to the bilateral meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the two leaders would discuss security of the common sea lanes, cross-border traffic and patrol, and economic cooperation.

At 4:30 p.m., Duterte and Widodo will witness the signing of two documents, the memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation and the joint declaration on the establishment of sea connectivity between Davao/General Santos cities in Mindanao and Bitung City in Sulawesi. It will be held at the Reception Hall.

A joint statement will follow right after the signing ceremony.

Duterte will then host a state banquet for Jokowi and his wife, First Lady Iriana Widodo, at the Rizal Hall.

Duterte visited Indonesia in September after the 2016 ASEAN Summit in Laos. The two leaders discussed security concerns in the Sulu-Sulawesi seas, the war on illicit drugs, maritime cooperation, enhancing economic ties, and intensifying people-to-people exchanges. 

The two presidents will be in Davao City on April 30 for the formal launch of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung roll-on/roll-off (RORO) sea linkage route, the first of its kind in the area. — MDM, GMA News