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June 9, 2009 Secretary of State Clinton Meets with Foreign Minister Wirajuda Washington, June 8 – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met June 8 in Washington with visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda. The two leaders renewed their commitment to build a comprehensive partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests and discussed a range of bilateral and international issues. During a press availability after the meeting in the U.S. Department of State, Secretary Clinton announced that the United States is committing $10 million in higher education funding for Indonesia this fiscal year. The funds will be used for projects such as English language teaching and encouraging US-Indonesia educational linkages. Also, she said a group of American educators will travel to Indonesia later this year to explore additional opportunities for collaboration between U.S. and Indonesian universities. “Just as it is in the United States, education is the key to expanding economic opportunity in Indonesia and allowing people to live up to their full potential,” she said. “And these people-to-people connections will further bind our countries together.” The Secretary also said “we are working together on a number of common concerns for our two countries, the region and the world” and “the American people have the greatest respect for what the Indonesian people have accomplished in the last decade.” She said “Indonesia is now the world’s third largest democracy, and it is taking the lead on a broad range of regional and international issues, including the promotion of democracy.” Full text of the press availability below: Today, we renewed our commitment to build a comprehensive partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests. We are working together on a number of common concerns for our two countries, the region, and the world. Indonesia and the United States share a vision for a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia. We also share a commitment to democratic values, human rights, and a vibrant civil society. The American people have the greatest respect for what the Indonesian people have accomplished in the last decade. Indonesia is now the world’s third largest democracy, and it is taking the lead on a broad range of regional and international issues, including the promotion of democracy. Through their commitment to democracy, religious freedom, and women’s rights, Indonesians uphold the values that President Obama described in his speech last week in Cairo, values that are fundamental – fundamental to Indonesia and the United States: justice, progress, tolerance. Earlier today, I met with activists working to support democracy and human rights across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as with leaders who are advocating for religious freedom across the world. And for all who work hard and risk a great deal to stand up for these universal values, the example of Indonesia gives hope and confidence of a brighter future. Today, I am pleased to announce that we are deepening our cooperation and committing $10 million in higher education funding for Indonesia this fiscal year, including projects for English language teaching and encouraging U.S.-Indonesia educational linkages. Also a group of American educators will travel to Indonesia this summer to explore additional opportunities for collaboration between our universities. Just as it is in the United States, education is the key to expanding economic opportunity in Indonesia and allowing people to live up to their full potential. And these people-to-people connections will further bind our countries together. We also discussed the importance of ASEAN for regional stability and prosperity, our countries’ mutual interests in combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and I thank the foreign minister for Indonesia’s leadership in supporting democratic values, and underscored our commitment to the Bali Democracy Forum. We also discussed the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. Let me again reiterate that the charges against her are baseless, and we call for her immediate release. Indonesia, like other ASEAN countries, have also spoken out about her plight and urged her immediate release, and we greatly appreciate that. I look forward to continuing to work with the foreign minister and the Indonesian Government on all of these issues. And I am confident that our relationship will grow stronger and deeper in the future. Thank you so much, Minister. FOREIGN MINISTER WIRAJUDA: Thank you very much, Secretary Hillary Clinton, for your kind remarks, including on the progress that we’ve made in Indonesia during the past ten years of reformasi we call it. The purpose of my working visit to Washington is to follow up our discussions during the visit of Secretary Clinton to Jakarta last February during which we agreed to develop comprehensive partnerships between Indonesia and the United States. By the comprehensive partnerships, we mean agreement to expand and deepen the bilateral relation between Indonesia and the United States. Indonesia strongly believes, as we do share the fundamental values of democracy, human rights, and (inaudible), we have more reasons to be able to develop stronger relations with the United States. In fact, as we are continuing our discussions on the format as well as the substantive coverage of the partnerships, we agreed to start working on the promotions in areas that we thought we could start to develop a productive cooperation (inaudible) in the promotions of people-to-people exchange on educations, and I am grateful that the United States has extended assistance of $10 million U.S. to support the program. I would – likewise – we are very encouraged that as immediate translations of President Obama’s message and call made in Cairo that the U.S. Government is intending to develop a bilateral dialogue, an interfaith dialogue and cooperation, something that we are in Indonesia proud of our various initiative in promoting both bilateral, regional, all regional dialogues with many countries and regions. And I think this is a noble effort to have – we have better understanding among peoples around the world. We follow attentively and I personally read the statement made by President Obama. We welcome the statement. And I thought it might – I may claim that the message is also ours. And I thought that Indonesia could be a good partner in the U.S. efforts to reach out to the Muslim world, after all the call for democracy, respect for human rights, including the rights of women and to promote democracy and Islam to go hand in hand is something that we have been doing in Indonesia. This adds to more reasons why we should develop a – partnerships with the United States. As Secretary of State has just mentioned, that we discussed other issues of concern, including the unfortunate development in Myanmar, in particular, the decisions of the military junta to bring Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to trial. Of course, this unfortunate development, because actually we were expecting that the case of the (inaudible) detentions of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, should have been reviewed last month with the view to release her. So that’s why we strong – we issued a very strong statement on the current case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and we remind Myanmar of its obligation under the new ASEAN charter, and likewise through the previous calls by made by our leaders to immediately release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. We thank Secretary of State’s statements on the U.S. to support our Bali Democracy Forum. I think it’s important and very strategic that Indonesia and the United States works closely together in sharing our experience and best practices in the countries and, in particular, in the regions of Asia. I thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much. QUESTION: I was wondering whether you both discussed about military assistance to Indonesia, and whether it is included in the comprehensive partnership? And apart from that, is there any new scheme made by the U.S. to make sure that the military assistance to Indonesia is extended, especially in terms of arms supply? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: As part of our comprehensive partnership, we are going to be discussing military and defense matters. We want to have closer connections with Indonesia and a military-to-military relationship. And that will be discussed and resolved in the course of our partnership. But clearly, the Obama Administration sees the progress in Indonesia in very positive terms, and we want to cooperate across every issue – health, education, cultural exchanges, military, economic – so that will be a part of our overall framework. QUESTION: Thank you, I have two questions. The first one is Indonesia will hold a presidential election next month, so what does U.S. hope (inaudible) in this election? And do you expect any changes to be brought or should be brought by the next president in terms of Indonesian foreign policy towards United States? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, of course, the elections are an internal Indonesian matter. We applaud the continuing growth and dynamism of the democracy in Indonesia. We look forward to working with the Indonesian Government. We have very much appreciated our relationship with the existing administration. It has been very positive and constructive, and we look forward to working with the government that the people of Indonesia choose. But what is so significant about this election is the further example it sets. As the minister was saying, Indonesia represents the fact that Islam and democracy are not in contradiction. Indonesia is building a modern secular democracy that respects Islam and respects women’s rights. We are so impressed with the steps that have been taken in Indonesia, and we applaud the Bali Democracy Forum because we think that is a way for other countries that are just beginning their transition to democracy or are thinking about whether to begin to see it in action. And this election next month is a great testament to the commitment of the Indonesian people to democracy. Thank you all very much. For more information about the U.S. Embassy Jakarta’s activities, please visit http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/. ### |
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