Saudi king calls for unity in fight against terrorism on Indonesia trip

King Salman is making the first visit by a Saudi monarch to Indonesia in almost 50 years as part of a tour of Asia, accompanied by a 1,000-strong delegation

Saudi Arabia's King Salman waves next to Indonesian parliament speaker Setyo Novanto (front right) at the parliament in Jakarta on March 2, 2017. Adek Berry / AFP

JAKARTA // Saudi Arabia’s King Salman called on Thursday for a united fight against terrorism in a speech to Indonesia’s parliament during a landmark state visit to the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

The king is making the first visit by a Saudi monarch to Indonesia in almost 50 years as part of a tour of Asia, accompanied by a 1,000-strong delegation.

In a speech to hundreds of people at the legislature in the capital, Jakarta, he called for an intensified fight against terrorism.

“The challenge we, especially Muslims, face now is terrorism,” he said. “We should close ranks in combating terrorism, radicalism and strive to bring world peace for the benefit of all of us.”

Saudi Arabia is part of a US-led coalition that has carried out air strikes against ISIL and other militants in Syria.

Saudi Arabia has witnessed a series of deadly attacks claimed by ISIL since late 2014, mostly targeting the Shiite minority and security forces, which have killed dozens of people.

Indonesia, which has long struggled with Islamic militancy, is also facing a renewed threat due to the appeal of ISIL, with hundreds of its citizens heading to the Middle East to fight with the militants.

A gun and suicide attack in Jakarta in January last year that killed four civilians and four attackers was the first assault claimed by ISIL in Southeast Asia.

On Thursday Salman also visited Jakarta’s Istiqlal mosque, the biggest in Southeast Asia. He was accompanied by president Joko Widodo, and the leaders prayed together.

The king and his entourage will be in Jakarta until Friday, after which they will head to the Hindu-majority resort island of Bali for a holiday.

King Salman’s three-week Asia tour is seeking investment opportunities as the world’s top oil exporter looks to diversify its economy. He began the trip in Malaysia earlier this week and is also set to visit Japan, China and the Maldives.

* Agence France-Presse