Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage left Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province, Sunday morning for Tokyo for a three-day visit in Japan.

The president left Makassar after attending a ceremony there to observe the 26th World Food Day, at which he called on regional government officials to frequently visit remote villages to see villagers' food condition in their respective regions, the Antara news agency reported.

In Tokyo, Yudhoyono will attend a state ceremony to be held by Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace and have a state banquet.

On Tuesday, the president will meet with several Japanese business people and hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Yudhoyono's visit to Japan is aimed at increasing bilateral economic cooperation, cooperation to fight bird flu and a discussion on development of the United Nations Security Council.

The president would leave Tokyo for St Petersburg, Russia, on Nov. 29. On Nov. 30, the president would leave for Moscow and hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 1.

Yudhoyono will sign 12 cooperation agreements during his visit to Russia, including one on military cooperation for 2006-2010.

Source: Xinhua