Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at the Merdeka Palace, here on Thursday.

Presidential Special Staff for International Affairs Teuku Faizasyah, said in a press statement made available to ANTARA here on Thursday, that the Malaysian Prime Minister was visiting Indonesia in connection with the two countries annual session to discuss the developments of their bilateral cooperation.

"The President and the Malaysian Prime Minister will hold the 10th annual session in Jakarta on December 19 (on Thursday). Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak is accompanied by First Lady Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor," noted Faizasyah.

He added that the annual session reflected the commitment of both the countries to ensure that their cooperation was proceeding on the right track.

"The meeting also functions as a mechanism to evaluate the progress of the two countries cooperation in the bilateral, regional and global framework," he explained.

The bilateral cooperation included among others, discussions on the economy, investments, legal and consular cooperation, including Indonesian workers protection issues, borders, defense and relations between the peoples of the two countries.

"The Indonesia-Malaysia Annual session is a forum to evaluate the progress of development agreed by both the sides during the previous meeting. Thus, if there are challenges that must be overcome, the two heads of states should provide directives to the rank and file of governments in their respective countries soon," he further added.

He said that the ten-year old annual meeting has been successful in maintaining consistent bilateral cooperation in various sectors.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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