Indonesian President Joko Widodo will make his first state visit to Singapore today, during which three agreements will be signed that underscore the strong bilateral ties between the two close neighbours.
Mr Joko will be accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo and a high-level ministerial delegation during the two-day visit.
He will attend a welcome ceremony at the Istana upon his arrival in Singapore, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He will then call on President Tony Tan Keng Yam and hold a meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who will also host Mr Joko and his delegation to lunch.
In the evening, Mr Joko will attend a state banquet hosted by Dr Tan.
Before the banquet, both presidents will witness a certificate presentation ceremony for the Technical and Vocational Training Programme in Ship Building, which is organised by Temasek Foundation and ITE Education Services in partnership with Batam Polytechnic.
During the visit, Mr Lee and Mr Joko will also witness the signing of three agreements that highlight the breadth and depth of the close cooperation between the two nations and the inter-connected nature of the relationship.
The first is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Electronic Government Cooperation that seeks to facilitate the sharing of experiences and knowledge on electronic government.
A second MoU to be signed between the two governments, on Youth and Sports Cooperation, aims to strengthen collaboration on youth and sports development between the two countries.
The Indonesian leader will speak at the Singapore-Indonesia Business Dialogue forum organised by SBF and Kadin today.
Tomorrow, Mr Joko and his wife will attend an orchid-naming ceremony held at the Singapore Botanical Gardens, where an orchid, the Dendrobium Iriana Jokowi, will be named after them.
Idayu Suparto
