Obama Visit to Focus on Political and Economic Relationship: Indonesian Presidential Palace

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

The Jakarta Post

Cipanas, West Java. US President Barack Obama will arrive in Indonesia with his family in the second week of March, with the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries being a priority of the visit, Indonesian presidential staff confirmed on Tuesday.

“The White House has confirmed some hours ago that President Obama will visit Indonesia in the second week of March,” Dino Patti Djalal, presidential advisor for international relations, said at the Presidential Palace in Cipanas, West Java.

During the visit, President Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will discuss building a comprehensive strategic partnership, an idea that the leaders initially discussed during Yudhoyono’s visit to Washington in November 2008.

“The idea (of the partnership) has been well accepted by the United States government,” Dino said.

“There has been a discussion to draft the content of the comprehensive partnership that will be launched. The significance of the visit is to intensify the Indonesian-American relationship to adapt to 21st century challenges.”

Dino said that in the past, the relationship between the two countries had been unbalanced and unidimensional, focusing only on democracy, human rights and issues related to East Timor.

“We want this to be a more comprehensive relationship, covering several sectors such as energy, environment, health, science and technology, trade, investment, people to people contact and many others,” he said. “The relationship will be based on equality and mutual benefits.”

Dino said that the economic relationship between the United States and Indonesia has been an important part of the nation’s economic growth.“The trade volume in 2008 was $20 billion,” he said. “In 2009, it decreased due to the economic crisis. Investment is still limited and has not yet reached its full potential, so there are many aspects of trade that could still be developed.”

            When asked whether there had been discussion about funding, Dino said that he could not that answer now, but said agreements had been discussed between the two governments, such as an Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).“A concrete plan has been set up for the future,” he said.

With Indonesia holding an important position as the largest country in Southeast Asia, a key player in Asean and a G-20 nation, Dino said that constructive relations with the US could help Indonesia be a part of solutions for global problems, including climate change and radicalism.

President Obama, who spent his childhood in Indonesia, will bring along his wife and daughters during the visit. Dino said that besides developing the relationship between the two nations, the visit would also carry a sentimental value for the president and his family.

“That’s why he wants to bring along his daughters,” he said. “When First lady Ani Yudhoyono met with Michelle Obama in London, Michelle said that she had long wanted to visit Indonesia, but they wanted to take along their daughters so their father could show to them where he lived (during his childhood).”