JAKARTA - MALAYSIA'S Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in the Indonesian capital on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, his first since becoming Premier three weeks ago.
The visit is part of a long-standing tradition in Asean where a newly appointed leader would make courtesy visits to neighbouring countries.
Mr Najib, who took over from Abdullah Badawi on April 3, will hold talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Istana on Thursday.
He is also slated to hold separate meetings with Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nurwahid and Parliament Speaker Agung Laksono.
Indonesian officials welcomed the visit which they said would underline the close ties between the two countries.
'Personal closeness between leaders of the two countries, like that of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and (former) prime minister Abdullah Badawi, is the (strong) point of the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia,' presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said in a statement.
'We hope this can continue with Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has known Indonesia very well and has long been a close friend of Indonesia.'
The talks between the two top leaders would touch on bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.
The two leaders last met in June last year when Mr Najib visited Jakarta as Deputy Prime Minister.
During a telephone conversation soon after Mr Najib's appointment as Prime Minister, the two leaders pledged their commitment to maintain the good ties between their countries.
They also agreed to follow up on the results of their annual bilateral consultation meeting that last took place in Jakarta on March 17.
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