O’Neill hails Indonesia’s president-elect on his election victory

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has commended Indonesia’s president-elect Joko Widodo on his victory.

O’Neill, who is attending the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Palau this week, said PNG looked forward to continuing its “strong and functional partnership” with Indonesia.

“We have many shared interests and our relationship has continued to grow,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“At a cultural level, the representation of Indonesia at the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture that took place in various locations around Papua New Guinea, gave us all a chance to better understand each other’s cultural strengths and diversity.”

O’Neill said over the past decade PNG had welcomed the friendship of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and looked forward to continuing this relationship with the new president.

Widodo’s inauguration will take place on Oct 20.