President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday attended a reception held by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as part of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit agenda at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC), Victoria, Australia.

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat, President Widodo arrived at the ASEAN Leaders' Arrival Hall, MCEC, around 5:05 p.m. local time and was immediately greeted by PM Albanese.

Albanese later invited Widodo and other state leaders for a group photo session. Widodo stood between Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for the photo.

Afterward, Albanese, Widodo, and other state leaders watched a traditional performance of the indigenous people's Smoking Ceremony, which was presented by Wurundjeri First Nation Elders.

Thereafter, President Widodo and other state leaders headed to the reception area.

Widodo said that he will encourage discussions related to electric cars and digital transformation at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

"I will encourage cooperation in electric vehicles to be implemented as soon as possible. Also, I think the direction is toward digital transformation," he said while delivering a press statement at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base on Monday (March 4), before leaving for Australia.

Widodo will also discuss defense cooperation with Albanese. Such cooperation has been explored earlier by the defense ministers of the two countries.

The President is making his visit to Australia with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto; Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi; Minister of State Secretary, Pratikno; and Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono.

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by ANTARA NEWS

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