President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is welcomed by Singapura Prime Minister for an APEC summit di Singapore. (ANTARA/REUTERS/Tim Chong)
Yudhoyono left Jakarta on Wednesday (Nov. 11) on a five-day overseas tour that took him to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore for state visits and for an APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in Singapore.
During the two-day state visit to Malaysia, Nov. 11-12, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held meetings among others with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Muhamad Najib bin Haji Tun Abdul Razak, and former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he chose Malaysia for his first state visit after his re-election as Indonesian president as he felt that Malaysia was a close friend, a neighbor and partner.
He said the visit was also aimed at maintaining cordial relations between the countries which went back in the annals of history, cultures and civilization.
Susilo said if a problem cropped up, it must be resolved wisely and appropriately to maintain the good ties and cooperation, and not tainted by it.
He left Malaysia for Singapore on Nov. 12 and had a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong.
Yudhoyono, at a dinner held in his honor at the Singapore Palace by Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong here on Thursday, said that Indonesia and Singapore agreed to work together to make the UN meeting on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of this year a success.
"I am expecting support from Indonesia and Singapore to make the meeting in Copenhagen a success," Yudhoyono told around 50 guests including members of the Indonesian delegation.
At a breakfast meeting with a number of APEC leaders in Singapore, on Sunday (Nov. 15), the president appealed to the world community to do their utmost to ensure next month`s climate change talks in Copenhagen will achieve concrete and optimum results. (*)
