VEEP KALLA RECEIVES HIS SOUTH AFRICAN COUNTERPART
antara.com
Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla received his South African counterpart, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, in a state ceremony at the vice presidential palace here on Monday morning.
The national anthems of both countries were chanted in the ceremony which was attended by among others Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda, Coordinating Minister for Economy Budiono, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Trade Minister Marie Elka Pangestu and Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman M. Luthfi.
Mlambo-Ngcuka`s five-day state visit in Indonesia is to reciprocate the one made by Jusuf Kalla in September last year to South Africa where he got similar welcome.
During Mlamblo-Ngcuka`s visit in Indonesia, the two countries will sign a number of memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in several fields, including tourism.
Meanwhile, during Kalla`s visit to South Africa on September 28 last year, the two countries reached an agreement for South Africal oil company, “Petro AS” to make exploration in Indonesia.
The company has had a lot of experiences in oil exploration in a number of countries such as Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Nigeria, Qatar and Sudan.
After the meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Monday, Mlambo-Ngcuka and her entourage will meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian Chamber of Commerse and Industry (Kadin) chairman MS Hidayat and the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono.
On Tuesday, Mlambo-Ngcuka will leave for Makassar, South Sulawesi, and then return home right from there.
The South African vice president and her entourage arrived in Jakarta on Friday night and made a working visit to Solo, Central Java, and later they visited Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta.
In solo, Mlambo-Ngcuka observed a World Cup 2010 souvenir expo being held in Surakarta (Central Java) on Saturday.
The exhibition displayed handicraft products which were produced in the Central Java town of Solo and designed as souvenirs for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
The South African Vice President, who was accompanied by Indonesian State Minister for Women Empowerment Meutia Farida Hatta, Central Java Deputy Governor Ali Mufiz and Surakarta Mayor H Joko Widodo, expressed interest in purchasing some of the souvenirs.
During the visit to Central Java, Vice President Mlambo-Ngcuka received the royal title “Kanjeng Raden Mas Ayu Adipati” from the Surakarta traditional Javanese palace.
The title was awarded in a special ceremony by Paku Buwono XIII, the king of the Surakarta palace, in the Andrawina room at the palace. (*)
Â