Yudhoyono Invites Obama to Indonesia

Wednesday, 26 November, 2008 | 19:36 WIB 

TEMPO Interactive, NAGOYA:President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invited president-elect Barack Obama to visit Indonesia next year, when Singapore will hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. 

“When I invited him, he said it was very important to stop by in Indonesia, not just to increase cooperation but also to enjoy bakso (meatballs), rambutan fruit and fried rice,” Yudhoyono said at Nagoya Airport, Japan, yesterday, transiting on his way back from the Americas. 

SBY’s talks with Obama lasted around six minutes when the presidential refuelled at Seattle, Washington state on Monday local time. The president had just visited Peru and was flying to Jakarta through Nagoya. 

“He said, 'Apa kabar, Bapak Presiden' (How are you, Mister President) in fluent Indonesian,” Yudhoyono said. 

In turn, the president congratulated Obama for winning the presidency. He and Obama agreed that the two countries needed to improve their relations. “The talks were warm and friendly,” Yudhoyono said. 

In an interview with the US press during his campaign, before the fuss about the ‘Besuki Islamic School’, Obama had wanted to visit Indonesia during the first 100 days of his presidency. Obama lived in Jakarta when he was six until he was ten years old, where his mother settled when she married Lolo Sutoro, an Indonesian. 

He attended the Menteng 01 Elementary Public School, also known as the Besuki Elementary School. The US media press thought it was an Islamic school, and sent their reporters to Jakarta. 

Presidential spokesman, Dino Patti Djalal said the telephone conversation was scheduled before Yudhoyono left the country on November 13 to attend the G-20 group meeting in Washington, DC, before heading for Mexico, Brazil and Peru, venue of the 16th APEC meeting.  

BAMBANG HARYMURTI (NAGOYA) | ANTARA