Mumbai (ANTARA News) - A planned visit by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to India in December will have a strategic and significant meaning for the sound bilateral relations of the two nations, an Indonesian envoy said.

The visit would particularly benefit the economic cooperation between Indonesia and India, Indonesian Ambassador to India Rizali Wilmar Indrakesuma said here on Saturday.

Wilmar was in Mumbai to attend the Indonesia Expo 2016, a trade, investment and tourism promotion which is being held at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Mumbai from November 11 to 12.

In his first visit to India, Jokowi is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

"In fact, they have often met unofficially at various international forum," he said.

During the visit, a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) will be signed by the two countries.

Indonesia enjoys a surplus amount of US $6 billion in bilateral trade.

Indonesias exports to India include oil palm products and coal, while its imports from India comprise heavy equipment and textiles, among other things.

Trade potential with India is huge, and the current trade level is far below the potential, he added.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is expected to open direct flights from Jakarta to Mumbai in December, in an effort to increase the tourist visits between the two countries.

"The Indian tourists flying from Mumbai to Jakarta have to make a stopover to change flight, which takes a longer time," Saut Siringoringo, the consul general of Indonesia to Mumbai, said on Friday.

He made the statement in connection with Indonesia Expo 2016.

The expo is attended by Indonesian businessmen from various sectors such as textile, textile products, handicraft goods, household decoration, furniture, ornaments, health and tourism.

He said that the number of Indian tourists who visited Indonesia in 2015 had reached 270 thousand, and in 2016, they are expected to reach 350 thousand.

Currently, Bali is the main destination of Indian tourists in Indonesia; moreover, most of the people in India and Bali follow the same Hindu religion.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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