US AND INDONESIAN GOVERNMENTS COMMIT TO DEVELOP A US-INDONESIA PARTNERSHIP
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has positively responded to Indonesia's proposal for a US-Indonesia partnership by announcing February 13 that the US is "committed to working with Indonesia to pursue such a partnership with a concrete agenda." Following her February 18 meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, Secretary Clinton further noted that the partnership would be "comprehensive" and may include such global and regional topics as environmental protection and climate change, trade and investment, democracy promotion, health, education, regional security, and counter-terrorism. Separately, the New York Times reported today that the Secretary stated that the U.S. will start the process of signing on to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.
USINDO strongly supports this historic effort by both countries to find shared solutions to regional and global problems, which will also deepen the bonds between our two countries. USINDO is planning a conference in Washington in the Spring at which experts in the partnership areas will provide recommendations for the governments and citizens in both countries to consider. Details will be announced later.
USINDO will disseminate documents and articles related to these developments. Please go to the USINDO website for documents available as of today, February 18. For a video, and more information on the meeting with the Foreign Minister, please click on the "Read More" link. For excerpts from Secretary Clinton's speech about her trip to Asia in New York, click the "PDF" link. Other documents are at the News section on right side of the Home Page.
Deepening the bilateral relationship between our countries is a core mission for USINDO. We look forward to engaging USINDOs supporters in the effort to make the partnership effective.
David Merrill
President
The US-Indonesia Society
