JAKARTA, Indonesia – Vice President Jusuf Kalla will represent Indonesia at the Asia Pacific Economic Forum in Manila, as Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, opts instead to go to the G-20 Summit, where leaders of the world’s top 20 economies gather.

Asked whether Jokowi’s decision to skip APEC showed Indonesia’s priorities and disregard for regional issues, Kalla said the president was simply busy.

“The President will be going to Istanbul, to G-20. And there is no direct Istanbul to Manila (flight) so they asked me to attend these meetings in Manila,” Kalla told Rappler Indonesia in an exclusive interview on Friday, November 13.

He also denied that the region is not Indonesia’s priority, adding that he was going instead of Jokowi precisely to spend more time at APEC.

“Why not Jokowi? Because if he goes there, it will be a short time, There will be no more time to meet with leaders,” he said.

Trade Minister Thomas Lembong will also be part of the Indonesian delegation coming to Manila.

Other world leaders like US President Barack Obama will be going to both G-20 and APEC, although flight arrangements differ among world leaders.

Focus of Indonesia

During the interview, Kalla showed Rappler the stacks of papers and books on his desk ranging from topics like the Trans Pacific-Partnership (TPP) to the APEC Business Advisory Council.

“I will read everything by next week,” he said.

Kalla said Indonesia would focus on cooperation with other economies during its trip to the Philippines.

“We will focus on the advantages of cooperation for the Indonesian economy like how trade, investment, SMIs, financial institution inclusion will be affected or (how it can be) improved, the situation here in Indonesia, with cooperation,” he said.

TPP discussion

The APEC in Manila will be the first regional event since Indonesia said it would join the TPP.

During a meeting with Obama at the White House in October, Jokowi pledged to join the pact, angering economic nationalists at home. (READ: TPP must draw in Indonesia to become even more successful)

“Indonesia is an open economy and with a population of 250 million, we are the largest economy in Southeast Asia,” Jokowi said in the Oval Office. “Indonesia intends to join the TPP.”

Asked about how the delegation would handle the expected pressure from Obama and other member countries, Kalla highlighted that joining TPP was not a promise but an intention.

“As President Jokowi said, there are intentions to joining that. In the meantime we are studying in depth, what has been agreed in countries that joined earlier,” he said.

“And we study the effects on Indonesia, the positive and the negatives. Then after that we will decide if its a go or not a go.”

12 countries are currently party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership – including Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam and the United States – creating the world’s largest free trade area.

The deal is seen by some as a counterbalance to growing Chinese economic clout in the region. – Rappler.com