SINGAPORE, Sept 6 — Indonesian President Joko Widodo will make a two-day visit to Singapore starting today for a Leaders’ Retreat with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as both countries celebrate five decades of bilateral ties.

“7 September, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Indonesia (Rising50). For this milestone celebration, we have developed commemorative activities around the theme of Trusted Partners, Rising together,” said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement last night.

The tagline “Rising50” is an amalgamation of “RI” for the Republic of Indonesia, “Sing” for Singapore, and 50 for the anniversary.

As part of the celebrations, Lee and Widodo will plant a Sunda Oak tree that is native to both countries in the Learning Forest at Singapore Botanic Gardens tomorrow.

The two leaders will then unveil a joint stamp issue and launch a Rising50 commemorative book at the Istana, before they witness a joint flypast by the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Indonesian Air Force, as well as a combined military band performance at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.

“This underscores the close working relationship and excellent defence ties that the two militaries have built up over the decades,” said the PMO statement.

At tomorrow’s retreat, both PM Lee and Widodo are expected to exchange views on regional and international developments, review the progress of bilateral relations and explore new areas for cooperation across various areas, including in economics, security and culture.

They will also follow up on discussions from their retreat last year in Semarang, Indonesia, in the areas of energy, digital economy, tourism and skills training, said the PMO.

“Several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to enhance collaboration in these areas will also be signed at the Leaders’ Retreat.”

In a packed day of official programme, the leaders will also attend the Singapore-Indonesia Investment Forum and meet members of the Indonesia-Singapore Business Council, which was established on July 28 last year following discussions between the leaders at their first retreat last year.

During the visit, Lee and his wife, Ho Ching, will host Widodo and his wife, First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo, to a private breakfast at the Botanic Gardens and to an official lunch with the Indonesia and Singapore delegations at the Istana.

Besides his wife, Widodo will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several ministers and ministerial-ranked officials.

The Singapore delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean and several Cabinet ministers.

Ties between Singapore and Indonesia are broad and deep, with frequent exchanges of high-level visits.

The Republic was Indonesia’s third largest trading partner last year, and has consistently been among the top five investors in Indonesia since 2001.

Both countries are also the top source of visitor arrivals for each other. — TODAY