Jokowi Heads Home to Indonesia After Concluding Visits to Saudi Arabia, US

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) departed for Indonesia on Friday (November 17, 2023) at US time, or Saturday morning Indonesia time, after embarking on a seven-day working visit to Saudi Arabia and the United States (US).

Following his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, the US, President Jokowi, along with his entourage, took off aboard a Garuda Indonesia aircraft from the San Francisco International Airport.

According to a statement received from the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta, the president will arrive in Indonesia on Sunday (November 19). Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is among the officials accompanying President Jokowi during the flight.

At the APEC Summit, the president urged all APEC leaders to take concrete actions to halt the devastating war in Palestine's Gaza Strip, push for a ceasefire, and ensure safe and uninterrupted distribution of humanitarian aid for people in the besieged enclave.

He also firmly criticized the deteriorating living conditions of Gaza people, saying that they have been deprived of the right to live.

"Before we start discussing inclusive development, let us take a moment to think about the people in Gaza because their rights to live are not even respected," he remarked on Friday at local time.

Speaking in connection with inclusive development, he opined that APEC countries need to prioritize the seizure of opportunities as well as realization of inclusive and resilient economic growth in order to survive uncertainties currently plaguing the world.

"The Asia-Pacific region wields enormous potential, with 62 percent of the global GDP (gross domestic product) and 48 percent of the world's trade coming from the APEC," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the head of state visited Saudi Arabia earlier to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh. During the summit, he pushed all members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to unite and stand at the forefront to resolve the crisis in Gaza.

"The OIC must unite and be at the forefront in fighting for justice and humanity of Palestine by resorting to peaceful measures and utilizing all influence and diplomatic channels," he stated on November 11.

ANTARA

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