Forging dialogue: Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (right) welcomes Saudi Arabiaâs Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid before bilateral meetings at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday
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Saudi Arabian Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid met with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on Thursday to discuss ways to promote a peaceful image of the Islamic religion to the world.
'What was discussed during the ministers' meeting was that as two countries with a majority Muslim population, both can cooperate toward projecting Islam as a peaceful and graceful religion,' Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir said on Thursday as quoted by Antara news agency.
Fachir continued that Saudi Arabia's commitment toward that goal included the establishment of an interfaith dialogue center in the city of Mina, and that agreements with Indonesia on the matter had previously been reached.
The meeting also discussed people-to-people relations between the two nations, mostly involving the security and prosperity of Indonesian nationals in Saudi Arabia.
Fachir noted that 750,000 Indonesians performed umrah (minor haj) in 2013, underlining the large amount of tourists that visit Saudi Arabia each year.
The reduced haj quota was also brought up during the discussions. Deputy Minister Khalid said that the reduction was due to ongoing renovations in the haj areas, explained Fachir.
Other issues such as trade were discussed, regarding Saudi Arabia's trade surplus with Indonesia, with Fachir hoping that the kingdom would allow more leeway for Indonesian products. (nfo)
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