Indonesia’s President Jokowi to pay tribute to the King

The presidential secretary’s office said President Jokowi, as he popularly known, is scheduled to visit Miangas, North Sulawesi, today from where he will proceed to Bangkok.
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that President Jokowi’s decision to offer condolences in person showed the depth of the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Thailand as well as fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
“He has been Indonesia’s friend since the era of Bung Karno (Indonesia’s first president Sukarno), so he was close to us all,” he acknowledged.
The vice president said the white elephant sculpture in front of the Jakarta National Museum was a present from Thailand’s King Rama V and is a symbol of an enduring friendship.
“Besides being good neighbours, our relations with Thailand have been very long,” he said.