Jakarta. Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud praised Indonesia for its religious tolerance during a meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and representatives of various religions at the Raffles Hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Friday (03/03).

The religious figures comprised nine Muslims and four each from the Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist and Hindu faiths, as well as three from the Confucian religion

King Salman spoke in favor of interfaith tolerance, which he said allows people of different faiths to coexist peacefully.

The king also expressed hope that Indonesians will further improve religious tolerance and mutual understanding.

The roles various religions can play in the quest for world peace and the improvement of civilization were also discussed during the meeting.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Wednesday that the purpose of the meeting would be to discuss measures to prevent violence, terrorism and extremism.

Among the religious figures present were Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin, Islamic scholar Alwi Shihab, Indonesian Churches Association (PGI) chairman Hanriette Hutabarat, PGI secretary general Gomar Gultom and Zannuba Arriffah C. Rahman – better known as Yenni Wahid, the daughter of former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid.

King Salman also met with representatives of Indonesian Islamic organizations at the State Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday.