I would like to thank President Joko Widodo for his warm welcome. It is an honour for me to be here in Indonesia on this, my first trip outside the Mediterranean area.
Italy attributes great importance to its relationship with Indonesia, both politically and economically. As President Widodo said earlier, we have truly excellent bilateral relations, and strong economic and commercial cooperation, but there is ample room to develop and increase this cooperation, which we intend to do by all possible means, identifying mutually beneficial sectors and strategies so as to further strengthen our friendship.
I thanked President Joko Widodo for Indonesia's participation in the Milan Expo, which was a great success. The Indonesian Pavillion was visited by millions of people.
I expressed Italy's appreciation and admiration for Indonesia's role in this part of South-East Asia and in the whole international community, a role of stability and peaceful coexistence.
I also expressed my admiration for the harmony that reigns in this country, for the model and example provided of peaceful and harmonious coexistence among different religions that is that is offered to the world.
Indonesia's official motto, "unity in diversity", as inscribed clearly on its national emblem, is truly exemplary. It sends a message to the world that peaceful coexistence begins with the acceptance and respect for diversity and the role of others.
I would therefore like to thank President Joko Widodo for our harmonious connection. Indonesia and Italy are united in the belief that international relations should be peaceful and constructive.
Furthermore, we greatly appreciate and are working, within the European Union, to encourage ever greater cooperation on events in this area with ASEAN, whose headquarters are in Jakarta, Indonesia, and ever broader cooperation between the European Union and ASEAN. Naturally, my own visit here, along with Italy's Minister for Economic Development, Federica Guidi, seeks to lay the necessary foundations for increasing cooperation between our two countries.
I was met with great friendship, which we fully reciprocate, in the hope we will soon have the opportunity to meet President Joko Widodo again, perhaps in Rome, to further confirm our increased cooperation.
