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Ma’ruf heads to Japan for first overseas visit as VP
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (left), Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (center) and former vice president Jusuf Kalla stand for a photo session after Jokowi and Ma'ruf took their oath as president and vice president on Sunday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
J
ust a day after he took an oath to serve as vice president for the next five years, Ma’ruf Amin on Monday flew to Japan for his first overseas visit.
Ma’ruf is to represent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the enthronement of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Ma'ruf and his entourage, which includes wife Wury Ma'ruf Amin, took off from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta at 10 a.m. and are expected to land at Narita International Airport in the evening, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Vice President on Monday.
"I and my limited group will soon leave for Japan to represent Indonesia at the coronation ceremony of the Japanese Emperor Naruhito,” Ma’ruf said before leaving, as quoted in the press statement.
The coronation ceremony will be attended by around 2,000 guests, including foreign leaders and representatives from more than 170 countries, such as Britain’s Prince Charles, United States Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, Reuters reported.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will also likely attend, local media reported.
Ma’ruf’s Japan visit comes as Indonesia expects the newly inaugurated President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will soon announce new Cabinet members. Jokowi has said the new ministers will be sworn in soon but did not elaborate on whether or not they would be sworn in after Ma’ruf has returned to Jakarta.
"After the coronation ceremony, I and the group will immediately return to Jakarta and arrive in Jakarta, God willing, on Tuesday night,” Ma’ruf said.
Among Ma’ruf's entourage is Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister during Jokowi’s first tenure who was instructed by Jokowi to accompany Ma’ruf during the trip.
