Mr. Ali Larijani received on Thursday morning Indonesian delegation of tradesmen and political figures headed by country’s President Widodo. Parliament speaker hailed Indonesian delegation to Tehran as a turning point in bilateral ties; “as two important Islamic countries, we should improve relations in all fields including trade and culture; ample opportunities should be identified and exploited for mutual interests,” Mr. speaker told the meeting. “Within the Islamic world, perennial problems should be addressed through a novel approach which posits the differences as natural and one that assumes the world of Islam as a whole which should work in harmony, abandoning unnecessary conflicts,” Larijani emphasized.
“Iran and Indonesia have the means to tackle issues which have eroded the energy and capacities of the world of Islam to contribute to betterment of the situation.”
Mr. Widodo for his part believed that the visit to Tehran had been a platform where Indonesia would seek to bolster trade with Tehran; “industry, culture, and tourism are also fields of interest for Indonesia to work with Iran and to participate in both capitals in diverse projects,” he told the meeting. “We believe both Parliaments have appeared more dynamic enough to facilitate contacts between officials in Tehran and Jakarta; we work to establish a direct air route between Tehran and Jakarta as the first step to boost cultural ties and tourism,” said the president.
On Middle East crises, Widodo said that his country supported unity of the Islamic countries and crises would only serve Israeli interests; “political dialogue is a solution Indonesia believes in, and other military options would lead only to more violence and destruction,” he concluded.
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