Pacific

Indonesia's Widodo talks West Papua with students

13:24 pm on 21 March 2018

During his brief visit to New Zealand, Indonesia's President discussed West Papua with students from his country.

Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he is known, met with New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern and other top officials in Wellington this week in his first state visit to the country.

He took an early morning walk around central Wellington's waterfront accompanied by dozens of Indonesians who are studying in New Zealand.

Of the 29 students walking with him, 15 were Papuan.

The President spoke to them about his government's infrastructure development drive in remote Papua region, known outside Indonesia as West Papua.

He told the students his government was building roads, bridges, airports and ports so that Papua's many isolated areas could be opened up for economic development.

Ahead of her talks with President Jokowi, Ms Ardern said issues of freedom of speech and access of foreign media in Papua would be among matters discussed.