Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto met with King Philippe of Belgium at the Laeken Royal Palace in Brussels during his visit to Belgium on Sunday.
The president was welcomed by King Philippe on the palace grounds before entering the main hall for a photo session. They then held a tête-à-tête in the King’s private chamber.
In a warm and friendly atmosphere, President Prabowo and King Philippe exchanged views on strategic issues and ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Belgium.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya and Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium Andri Hadi accompanied the president during his meeting with the Belgian head of state.
After completing his meeting with King Philippe, the president departed for Brussels International Airport to continue the next leg of his European tour to Paris, France, where he will attend the Bastille Day commemoration on July 14 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
While in Brussels, Prabowo also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa to discuss strengthening strategic cooperation between Indonesia and the EU.
In a joint press statement with the European Commission president in Brussels on Sunday, the Indonesian president announced the conclusion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) after a decade of negotiations.
"We have achieved a breakthrough. After 10 years of negotiations, we have concluded a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is basically a free trade agreement," Prabowo remarked.
President von der Leyen also welcomed the conclusion of the IEU-CEPA, calling it a reflection of the shared commitment to a long-term partnership between Indonesia and the EU.
