REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TANJUNG SELOR -- President Joko Widodo's visit to Sebatik Island on Tuesday has shown the central government's strong commitment to accelerating the development of the country's border areas, Acting North Kalimantan Governor Irianto Lambrie said.

"President Joko Widodo is also the first Indonesian leader who traveled to Sebatik Island in 69 years of our country's independence," he said in a statement made available to Antara here Wednesday.

The president's visit to Sebatik Island, Indonesia's closest island to the Malaysian border, has shown his commitment to fulfilling the third of Nine Visions (Nawa Cita), namely building the periphery, Irianto Lambrie said.

The periphery of Indonesia was built by strengthening border areas and villages for the sake of maintaining the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, he said.

"The border areas are Indonesia's front lines (to neighboring countries)," he said adding that the head of state's visit to Sebatik Island was a pride and historic record for the people of North Kalimantan Province.

During his visit to North Kalimantan, Indonesia's youngest province, President Joko Widodo also opened a meeting for talks about the national development plan and mid-term development plan of Kalimantan region.

On the sideline of the president's visit, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said the central government is committed to securing its border areas by developing infrastructure and improving the living conditions of the people.

"We are committed to develop our border areas because the dignity of our nation lies there," he told journalists in the North Kalimantan city of Tarakan.

The government has been committed to improving the quality of infrastructure facilities such as roads and bridges in the country's border areas, he noted.

"The government wants to make its people living in the border areas proud of being Indonesian and will not let them feel inferior," Widjajanto emphasized.

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