The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday where he was welcomed by the country's president. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, shook hands with President Joko Widodo on the tarmac at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. The visit to the world's most populous Muslim nation followed an official visit to China where deals worth billions were signed and a cultural exchange was held. The deal included a plan to <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/uae/education/chinese-language-courses-to-be-launched-at-60-uae-schools-from-september-1.889689">teach Chinese in Emirati government schools </a>with the help of 150 Chinese teachers. On Wednesday, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/adnoc-and-indonesian-state-producer-pertamina-to-explore-joint-opportunities-1.890084">signed a strategic framework with Indonesian state oil producer Pertamina</a> to explore opportunities upstream and downstream in both countries. Husin Bagis, the Indonesian ambassador to the UAE, described the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's visit as a "dream come true". "Many GCC leaders have visited Indonesia before," said Mr Bagis, adding that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit to the country is a positive step towards further advancing UAE-Indonesia ties. "Bilateral relations between the UAE and Indonesia are excellent, and as Muslim-majority countries, we have shared solidarity and good ties with the Emirati people," the ambassador said. On his arrival, Sheikh Mohamed was accorded a reception ceremony with his entourage at the Bogor Palace where the national anthems of the two countries were played as the artillery fired 21 rounds. Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Widodo witnessed the signing of 12 agreements between the UAE and Indonesia across various fields such as defence, trade, energy culture and the environment. The two leaders visited the sprawling Bogor Botanical Gardens, south of Jakarta, where they planted a tree to mark the deep-rooted friendship which exists between the nations. Sheikh Mohamed also left a note in the Bogo Palace visitors book, expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome he had received in the "friendly" country. "The bilateral ties between our two countries are strong, and I hope that they continue to grow and progress in the future, in the interest of the two friendly nations and their peoples," wrote Sheikh Mohamed. "The visit of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to the friendly Republic of Indonesia in 1990 underscored the great importance the UAE leadership attaches to the UAE-Indonesian relations," Sheikh Mohamed was quoted as saying by state news agency Wam. "These relations have witnessed growth and progress in various fields, and there is an Emirati vision for further developing these relations during the next stage." He said the UAE under the presidency of Sheikh Khalifa "has great interest in strengthening relations and partnerships with the Republic of Indonesia in many important and vital areas, especially in the fields of oil, gas, renewable energy, agriculture, tourism, investment and others," "The economic relations between the two countries have a lot of opportunities and elements of development and prosperity, which is important to invest in, in the future, to further strengthen development links," Sheikh Mohamed said.
