Veranda Talk: Up Close and Personal With Jokowi
Jakarta. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands became the latest in an increasingly long line of world leaders given the opportunity to get up close and personal with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in his now customary "Veranda Talk" on Thursday (01/09).
The name refers to intimate discussions between Jokowi and his guests, which always take place at the Merdeka Palace’s backyard terrace, away from the press gallery.
Timor Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria De Araujo was the first state leader invited to Jokowi's Veranda Talk.
However, invitation to the Veranda Talk does not come automatically. Guests get vetted according to their special interests to Indonesia.
"The name Veranda Talk is imbued with a lot of meaning. The president wants to build close relationships with countries that have a strategic relationships with Indonesia," the head of the presidential secretariat, Darmansjah Djumala, said.
The Veranda Talk was Jokowi's original idea, which started as a way of honoring guests he deemed especially important to Indonesia.
"If a guest wants to have a personal dialogue with Jokowi, he or she can do so during the Veranda Talk," Darmansjah said.
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