JAKARTA - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo will meet on Oct 11 in Bali for their third Leaders' Retreat in as many years, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
DPM Teo, who is on a three-day working visit to Indonesia, was speaking to the media on Wednesday (July 18) after meeting Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.
"I had a very good meeting with Vice-President Jusuf Kalla," said DPM Teo.
"The purpose of my visit here is to strengthen relations between both countries and also to prepare for the Leaders' Retreat between Bapak President and Prime Minister Lee on the 11th of October this year," he added.
Bali is also where the International Monetary Fund-World Bank meetings will take place from Oct 12 to 14.
The Indonesia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat is a long-held tradition in which leaders of the two close neighbours meet informally each year to boost ties.
President Joko, who took office in October 2014, hosted his first retreat with PM Lee in Semarang, in Central Java, in 2016.
Last year, the two countries marked 50 years of bilateral relations during the second Leaders' Retreat in Singapore.
Such retreats have helped enhance bilateral cooperation and led to a series of agreements and joint projects between the two countries, including the Kendal Industrial Park (KIP), which is in Semarang.
DPM Teo said there would be discussions in Bali to further strengthen cooperation in the KIP, the Nongsa Digital Park on Batam island and other collaborations in tourism.
There was strong cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore as well in the education sector and in security, he added.
"I hope in the defence area, we can also strengthen our cooperation for the future," Mr Teo said.
During his visit, DPM Teo is scheduled to meet a number of senior members of the Indonesian government and legislature, including Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto and People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Zulkifli Hasan.
He will also be meeting business leaders.
DPM Teo is accompanied by Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Tan Wu Meng, MPs Joan Pereira and Henry Kwek, and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
