After 11 Hours Of Extraordinary Train Ride From Poland, Jokowi Finally Sets Foot In Kyiv

Photo via the Press Bureau of the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and first lady, Iriana finally arrived at Kyiv Central Station, Ukraine on Wednesday, June 29 at around 08.50 local time. He and his entourage arrived after traveling approximately 11 hours using an extraordinary train.

Arriving at Platform 1 of Kyiv Central Station, Jokowi was greeted by a number of Ukrainian government officials, including Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmytro Senik.

"After the doors of the train carriage opened, the President and Mrs. Iriana got off the train and were greeted by Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Senik, Head of the Ukrainian-Indonesian Intergovernmental Relations Commission Taras Kachka, and officials from the Indonesian Embassy in Kyiv," said the official statement from the Press Bureau, Media. and Information on the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday, 29 June.

There are a number of activities that are planned to be carried out by Jokowi and his entourage upon arrival in Ukraine. Initially, he would visit the rubble of the Lipky Apartment complex in Irpin City.

Next, the President and First Lady will visit the Ukrainian Center for Endocrine Science and Surgery, Endocrine Organ and Tissue Transplantation in Kyiv City.

Later in the day, Jokowi will go to the Maryinsky Palace. He will have a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

After the meeting, President Jokowi and his entourage will return to Kyiv Central Station.

"Then go to Przemysl Station in Poland using KLB," said the official statement.

Previously, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said President Jokowi would be scheduled to meet the leaders of each country, namely Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow with an estimated meeting time of 29-30 June 2022.

Meanwhile, President Jokowi in a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, conveyed his mission to Ukraine and Russia is to build dialogue, stop war, and build peace.

"After Germany, I will visit Ukraine and will meet with President Zelensky. His mission is to invite the President of Ukraine, President Zelensky, to open a space for dialogue in the context of peace," said President Jokowi.

The meeting with President Zelensky, the President said, was to encourage the establishment of peace between Ukraine and Russia because they had to stop the war, and the food commodity supply chain had to be reactivated.

The president will carry out a similar mission in his meeting with Putin, both to open a space for peace dialogue, to push for a ceasefire as soon as possible, to ending the war.

After Russia, the President will visit the United Arab Emirates to resume discussions on economic cooperation and investment.