By Xinhua
Jakarta : Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono departed for Iran on Monday to discuss nuclear issue, trade and investment.
The president would also visit Senegal and Dubai, said state spokesman Dino Patti Djalal.
During his visit in Iran from Monday to Tuesday, the president would meet with his Iranian counterpart Mahmud Ahmadinejad and the country’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Dino said.
One of the topics to be discussed was nuclear issue, he said.
The visit comes a week after Indonesia, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, abstained from voting when the Security Council gave an approval on an additional sanction against Teheran over its rejection to stop nuclear program, which the council suspects it is directed for mass destruction weapons, but Iran says it is for peaceful purpose.
The spokesman has said that it was expected during the meeting of President Susilo and the Iranian leaders, he would urges Iran to be transparent and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
After visit to Iran, the president then will continue his visit to Senegal on March 12 to 15 to attend the 11th Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said Dino.
The president is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah of Jordan and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, he said.
On March 15 to 16, President Susilo will visit Dubai to meet the country’s businessmen and other international investors in a bid to boost investment in Indonesia, said Dino.
Indonesia, the biggest Southeast Asia economy, has been struggling to boost investment to build infrastructure as part of efforts to cope with the global economic slowdown.