The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said that Vice-President Hamid Ansari will be on a two-nation bilateral visit to Indonesia and Brunei between November 1 and 6.
MEA Secretary (East) Anil Wadhwa said that the Vice-President’s visit is aimed at strengthening economic and strategic relationship between India and Indonesia.
“Vice-President Hamid Ansari will be on an official visit to Indonesia at the. This visit will take place between November 1 to 4. The visit is essentially to carry forward our bilateral engagement with a strategic partner at the highest level,” Wadhwa said at a press conference here.
“The Vice-President will meet Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, we will reaffirm our commitment to strengthen and consolidate our economic and strategic relationship,” he added.
He said that Indonesia had emerged as the second largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region, adding that bilateral trade between the two countries had increased fivefold in the last few years.
Wadhwa said that Vice-President Ansari will meet several top leaders of Indonesia during his visit.
“The Vice President will arrive on November 1 and visit Istiqlal Mosque the same day. He is meeting Vice-President Jusuf Kalla on November 2. He will also meet the Indonesian President in the afternoon and Indonesian Foreign Minster the same day,” the Secretary (East) said.
“On November 3, he will inaugurate a business forum meeting, then he will visit Parliament of Indonesia and meet speakers of both the houses. Next day, he will go to Bali and unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi there at a University and address the students there,” he added.
Wadhwa said that the Vice-President will then leave for Brunei, where he will be on an official visit from November 4-6.