Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed arrives in Jakarta on a state visit to Indonesia

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has arrived in Jakarta, marking his state visit to the Republic of Indonesia.

Upon the arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Sheikh Mohamed was received by President Joko Widodo of Indonesia.

Sheikh Mohamed was accorded an official reception ceremony upon arriving with his entourage at the Bogor Palace where the national anthems of the two countries were played as the Artillery fired 21 rounds in salute of His Highness, who then inspected a Guard of Honour.

Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to Indonesia follows a historic three-day state visit to China which reinforced the close relations between the UAE and China.

16 Memoranda of Understandings were signed between UAE and China on Monday relating to various sectors, between the two nations.

Official talks

Sheikh Mohamed and President Widodo held official talks at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, on ways to further enhance the friendly and cooperation relations between the UAE and Indonesia, in addition to a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The meeting touched on cooperation between the two countries in the investment, economic, cultural, developmental and agricultural fields, in addition to many vital aspects that are of interest to both countries.

Sheikh Mohamed conveyed to the Indonesian President the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his wishes for further progress, stability and prosperity to the Republic of Indonesia.

"The visit of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to the friendly Republic of Indonesia in 1990 underscored the great importance the UAE leadership attaches to the UAE-Indonesian relations. These relations have witnessed growth and progress in various fields, and there is an Emirati vision for further developing these relations during the next stage," Sheikh Mohamed said.

"The UAE, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, has great interest in strengthening relations and partnerships with the Republic of Indonesia in many important and vital areas, especially in the fields of oil, gas, renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, investment and others. The economic relations between the two countries have a lot of opportunities and elements of development and prosperity, which is important to invest in, in the future, to further strengthen development links," Sheikh Mohamed added.

For his part, the Indonesian President welcomed the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to his country. He expressed confidence that the visit strongly supports the outstanding relations between the two countries and promotes cooperation and joint work between the UAE and Indonesia.

The Indonesian president also stressed his country's keenness to strengthen its relations with the UAE.

He called on the UAE investors to take advantage of existing investment opportunities in Indonesia, stressing the strong political will of his government to encourage investment.

The two sides highlighted the importance of consolidating and spreading the values of tolerance, cooperation and co-existence between the peoples of the world to enjoy security, stability and progress.

Sheikh Mohamed and President Widodo stressed the need for the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve peace and security in the region and the world.

The delegation accompanying Sheikh Mohamed includes Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports.

Also accompanying Sheikh Mohamed are Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Crown Prince's Court of Abu Dhabi, Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, and Mohammed Abdullah bin Mutlaq Al Ghafli, UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, and several other senior officials.

Mohamed's visit a 'dream' coming true: Indonesian envoy

The state visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to Indonesia today, was described by a top Indonesian diplomat as a 'dream' coming true.

Husin Bagis, Ambassador of Indonesia to the UAE, told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that the visit will not only improve the diplomatic ties between the two countries, but also will expand trade and investment relations across multiple sectors including energy, petrochemicals, retail, ports and customs, tourism and finance.

He went on to note that the key outcomes of the visit are expected to see an estimated US$10-15 billion in deals and partnerships formed with various UAE-based organisations, including Mubadala and DP World.

On 17th July, Mubadala Petroleum became the largest net acreage holder in Indonesia’s North Sumatra basin.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries first began in 1976, with the former Indonesian President Suharto visiting the UAE in 1977, the ambassador recalled, noting the late UAE President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, first visiting Indonesia in 1990.

"Many GCC leaders have visited Indonesia before," said Bagis, adding that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit to the country is a positive step towards further advancing UAE-Indonesia ties.

Having the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visit Jakarta fulfils a "big dream for me", Bagis said, while commenting on his goals during his tenure as ambassador to the UAE.

"Bilateral relations between the UAE and Indonesia are excellent, and as Muslim-majority countries, we have shared solidarity and good ties with the Emirati people," the ambassador continued.

"Abu Dhabi is my second home," he enthused, adding that as part of the 'Year of Tolerance,' he hoped Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit would shed more light on the various initiatives being carried out to spread tolerance and co-existence.

Indonesia was one of the first nations to recognise the UAE’s establishment in 1971.