RI, US Presidents Meet in Beijing to Discuss Radicalism

Beijing (Antara) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, had a bilateral meeting with his US counterpart Barack Obama here on Monday night to discuss security issues related to terrorism and radicalism. Jokowi and Obama met for the first time on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, an annual meeting that is being hosted by China this year. "Our talks are more directed towards terrorism and radicalism," President Jokowi informed the newsmen at the hotel where he was staying. According to him, Obama thanked Indonesia for its efforts to isolate extremism and its extraordinary role in promoting pluralism. Jokowi explained to Obama that Indonesia was keen to continue cooperation with the United States, especially in handling security threats. The furniture businessman-turned-president also stated that Indonesia has tried to eradicate extremism and radicalism through cultural and religious approaches. "I say we have experience and different approaches in handling extremism and radicalism, and they appreciated it," Jokowi remarked. Besides meeting President Obama on the sidelines of the APEC forum, President Jokowi also held a series of bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Park Gyeun-hye, and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.(*)