Post by bot on Jul 26, 2011 16:08:56 GMT -5
Joint Statement of the Second Indonesia-U.S. Joint Commission Meeting Bali, Indonesia
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 26, 2011
Following is the text of a joint statement by the United States and Indonesia issued on July 26, 2011, following the second Indonesia-U.S. Joint Commission Meeting in Bali, Indonesia:
BEGIN TEXT:
Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr. R. M. Marty M. Natalegawa and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met in Bali on July 24, 2011 to co-chair the second meeting of the U.S.-Indonesia Joint Commission under the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership. Both were accompanied by senior officials from their respective governments.
The Joint Commission is the principal vehicle to implement the Comprehensive Partnership launched by Presidents Yudhoyono and Obama in November 2010 in Indonesia. The first Joint Commission Meeting was held in Washington, D.C. in September 2010.
Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary of State Clinton were delighted to see the steady progress of the Joint Commission, whose members had collaborated with enthusiasm and a constructive spirit reflecting the elevated status of bilateral relations under the Comprehensive Partnership.
Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary Clinton engaged in an extensive dialogue on bilateral, regional, and global issues. They highlighted President Obama’s November 2010 visit to Jakarta and his upcoming trip to Bali in November 2011 and pledged to continue to strengthen the U.S.-Indonesian high-level strategic dialogue on global and regional developments. Given Indonesia’s chairmanship in 2011 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the entry of the United States into the East Asian Summit (EAS), and both countries membership in the G-20, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Natalegawa acknowledged the great importance of this enhanced consultation. They also expressed strong support for the intensive efforts to conclude a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, likely to total $600 million over five years, which is in the final stages of development.
The two ministers noted that the Joint Commission and its Working Groups are, in the spirit of equal partnership, promoting close dialogue and cooperation in overcoming shared challenges. Participants in today’s Joint Commission session welcomed substantial progress over the past year under the three pillars of the Comprehensive Partnership Plan of Action covering political and security cooperation; economic and development cooperation; and cooperation in socio-cultural, educational, science and technology affairs.
The two Ministers reviewed strategies and highlighted policy initiatives and priorities developed by the six Joint Commission Working Groups in the areas of Democracy and Civil Society, Education, Climate and Environment, Trade and Investment, Security, and Energy.
Working Group on Democracy and Civil Society
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Democracy and Civil Society shared with Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary Clinton the results of bilateral initiatives on cooperation with civil society engagement, civic education, and the upcoming bilateral media dialogue. They agreed to cooperate on democracy and human rights initiatives in international fora including the UN Human Rights Council, and on building democracy through bilateral programs. The United States participated in the third Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) as an observer and will take part in the upcoming fourth BDF, while the National Democratic Institute (NDI) supported the BDF implementing agency, the Institute for Peace and Democracy. The co-chairs expressed a desire to focus in the coming year on cooperation related to open government partnership, human rights, interfaith initiatives, local elections, and participation by women in politics. They will strive to increase youth participation in all of these areas.
Working Group on Education
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Education reported significant progress and new initiatives under the five-year Higher Education Partnership. They described the two countries’ support for increased exchange of students and scholars, including through the expanded binational Fulbright Program and with the Department of State’s community college initiative, as well as the development of new university partnerships through the U.S. Agency for International Development to strengthen educational capacity, especially in the fields of science and technology. They highlighted the growth of the Peace Corps’ English Teaching and Teacher Training program. They also welcomed Indonesian support for 100 Darmasiswa scholarships for Americans and Joint Fulbright-Dikti Scholarships for Master’s and PhD degree programs in the United States. They noted expanded support for English and Indonesian language learning to further strengthen collaboration and mutual understanding, and continued support for improved basic education services to facilitate more Indonesian students’ ability to continue onto higher education. The Working Group also highlighted the Spring 2011 American-Indonesian Educational Foundation EducationUSA and Access America Education Fairs, in which over 100 U.S. colleges and universities participated, and announced an Indonesia-U.S. Higher Education Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 31, 2011 to further engage the higher education and private sector communities in both countries. In addition, they acknowledged the existing academic recharging, “twinning,” and other post graduate programs funded by the Government of Indonesia.
Working Group on Climate and Environment
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Climate and Environment reported on accomplishments in priority areas, including intensified consultations on global climate change action, tropical forests, environmental management and governance, and biodiversity and ecosystems conservation. Noting Indonesia’s July 12, 2011 land tenure speech as a major step forward for forest-dependent communities and recognizing the importance of an accurate forest mapping system, the Working Group identified key challenges and action plans to pilot Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation- Plus (REDD+) programs; strengthen climate change measurement, reporting and verification systems; advance the establishment of the climate change center, protect biodiversity, including habitats that are critical to the survival of orangutans and tigers; combat illegal logging; and promote sustainable management of forest and marine ecosystems. The Working Group also recognized an important new agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Environment to expand environmental cooperation and launch the “Breathe Easy, Jakarta” partnership. The two sides also expressed strong support for collaborating in a new Tropical Forest Conservation Act program expected to total approximately $20 million to manage tropical forests.
Working Group on Trade and Investment
The co-chairs noted preparation for upcoming meetings of the Trade and Investment Council (TIC) and efforts to intensify engagement in the coming year. Bilateral trade figures reached $23.4 billion in 2010 compared to $18.0 billion in 2009. Indonesia reported that the United States has become the third largest source of investment in Indonesia, with investment reaching $930.9 million in 2010. During the first half of 2011, U.S. investment to Indonesia surpassed $936.1 million. Working Group co-chairs outlined recent commercial engagement successes such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) investment conference and U.S. agriculture and education trade missions earlier this year. As well, the co-chairs announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture are leading a temporary task force, to include participation from government, universities, and the private sector, to explore opportunities for cooperative engagement regarding the development of agriculture research, education, market access, and food security and use of innovative technologies in agriculture. In addition, they recognized growing cooperation on entrepreneurship including a recent U.S. entrepreneurship delegation to Indonesia and Indonesia’s hosting of the ASEAN Regional Entrepreneurship Summit. They welcomed the preliminary meeting of the Commercial Dialogue between the two countries held in Washington, D.C. on July 14, 2011 as an initiative to strengthen the existing Working Group on Trade and Investment under the Joint Commission. These initiatives will create a foundation for further increases in our bilateral trade.
Working Group on Security
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Security reported on the improving military-to-military relationship, including a number of cooperative activities on maritime security, transnational crime, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, peacekeeping, and defense reform/ professionalization. The Working Group noted U.S. support for the continued modernization of the Indonesian military forces and for Indonesia’s construction of a Peacekeeping Training Center. The Working Group noted the U.S. and Indonesian co-chairmanship of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Counter Terrorism Experts Working Group.
Working Group on Energy
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Energy reported on the cooperative activities undertaken since the Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) in June 2010, including the U.S.-Indonesia Energy Investment Roundtable in May 2011 in Jakarta. The highly successful event identified the key policy issues for improving the investment climate in Indonesia’s energy sector and attracting the substantial investment needed for Indonesia to meet its own ambitious production targets for both fossil fuels and renewable energy. The Working Group has already begun cooperating to implement key recommendations from the event, including the July 10-20 Geothermal Power Reverse Trade Mission that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency organized for thirteen Indonesian delegates from the national and provincial government as well as the corporate sector. Additionally, the Working Group is in the preliminary stages of planning a second U.S.-Indonesia Energy Investment Roundtable focused on conventional and unconventional gas to be held this fall. Furthermore, Indonesia and the United States have decided to cooperate on Indonesian efforts to slow the growth of emissions from its energy sector through strategies outlined in Indonesia’s climate change sector roadmap, in particular through cooperation on a $16.2 million Indonesia Clean Energy Development Project that will install 120 MW of clean energy and increase access for 1.2 million Indonesians to clean energy.
Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Natalegawa reaffirmed the importance of the Joint Commission in strengthening the bilateral relationship and offering a strategic vision for enhanced future cooperation. They noted that in addition to regular Joint Commission plenary sessions, the United States and Indonesia are boosting overall senior level dialogue, building relationships between our peoples, and developing institutional relations, not only between governments, but also among civil society, business, and academia. They also underscored cooperation in health, which has made significant progress over the last year, with steps taken to work closely on a variety of health and infectious disease issues. They also highlighted important bilateral science and technology cooperation initiatives.
The two sides plan to hold the next meeting of the Joint Commission in the United States in 2012.
PRN: 2011/1239
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 26, 2011
Following is the text of a joint statement by the United States and Indonesia issued on July 26, 2011, following the second Indonesia-U.S. Joint Commission Meeting in Bali, Indonesia:
BEGIN TEXT:
Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr. R. M. Marty M. Natalegawa and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met in Bali on July 24, 2011 to co-chair the second meeting of the U.S.-Indonesia Joint Commission under the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership. Both were accompanied by senior officials from their respective governments.
The Joint Commission is the principal vehicle to implement the Comprehensive Partnership launched by Presidents Yudhoyono and Obama in November 2010 in Indonesia. The first Joint Commission Meeting was held in Washington, D.C. in September 2010.
Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary of State Clinton were delighted to see the steady progress of the Joint Commission, whose members had collaborated with enthusiasm and a constructive spirit reflecting the elevated status of bilateral relations under the Comprehensive Partnership.
Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary Clinton engaged in an extensive dialogue on bilateral, regional, and global issues. They highlighted President Obama’s November 2010 visit to Jakarta and his upcoming trip to Bali in November 2011 and pledged to continue to strengthen the U.S.-Indonesian high-level strategic dialogue on global and regional developments. Given Indonesia’s chairmanship in 2011 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the entry of the United States into the East Asian Summit (EAS), and both countries membership in the G-20, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Natalegawa acknowledged the great importance of this enhanced consultation. They also expressed strong support for the intensive efforts to conclude a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, likely to total $600 million over five years, which is in the final stages of development.
The two ministers noted that the Joint Commission and its Working Groups are, in the spirit of equal partnership, promoting close dialogue and cooperation in overcoming shared challenges. Participants in today’s Joint Commission session welcomed substantial progress over the past year under the three pillars of the Comprehensive Partnership Plan of Action covering political and security cooperation; economic and development cooperation; and cooperation in socio-cultural, educational, science and technology affairs.
The two Ministers reviewed strategies and highlighted policy initiatives and priorities developed by the six Joint Commission Working Groups in the areas of Democracy and Civil Society, Education, Climate and Environment, Trade and Investment, Security, and Energy.
Working Group on Democracy and Civil Society
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Democracy and Civil Society shared with Foreign Minister Natalegawa and Secretary Clinton the results of bilateral initiatives on cooperation with civil society engagement, civic education, and the upcoming bilateral media dialogue. They agreed to cooperate on democracy and human rights initiatives in international fora including the UN Human Rights Council, and on building democracy through bilateral programs. The United States participated in the third Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) as an observer and will take part in the upcoming fourth BDF, while the National Democratic Institute (NDI) supported the BDF implementing agency, the Institute for Peace and Democracy. The co-chairs expressed a desire to focus in the coming year on cooperation related to open government partnership, human rights, interfaith initiatives, local elections, and participation by women in politics. They will strive to increase youth participation in all of these areas.
Working Group on Education
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Education reported significant progress and new initiatives under the five-year Higher Education Partnership. They described the two countries’ support for increased exchange of students and scholars, including through the expanded binational Fulbright Program and with the Department of State’s community college initiative, as well as the development of new university partnerships through the U.S. Agency for International Development to strengthen educational capacity, especially in the fields of science and technology. They highlighted the growth of the Peace Corps’ English Teaching and Teacher Training program. They also welcomed Indonesian support for 100 Darmasiswa scholarships for Americans and Joint Fulbright-Dikti Scholarships for Master’s and PhD degree programs in the United States. They noted expanded support for English and Indonesian language learning to further strengthen collaboration and mutual understanding, and continued support for improved basic education services to facilitate more Indonesian students’ ability to continue onto higher education. The Working Group also highlighted the Spring 2011 American-Indonesian Educational Foundation EducationUSA and Access America Education Fairs, in which over 100 U.S. colleges and universities participated, and announced an Indonesia-U.S. Higher Education Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 31, 2011 to further engage the higher education and private sector communities in both countries. In addition, they acknowledged the existing academic recharging, “twinning,” and other post graduate programs funded by the Government of Indonesia.
Working Group on Climate and Environment
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Climate and Environment reported on accomplishments in priority areas, including intensified consultations on global climate change action, tropical forests, environmental management and governance, and biodiversity and ecosystems conservation. Noting Indonesia’s July 12, 2011 land tenure speech as a major step forward for forest-dependent communities and recognizing the importance of an accurate forest mapping system, the Working Group identified key challenges and action plans to pilot Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation- Plus (REDD+) programs; strengthen climate change measurement, reporting and verification systems; advance the establishment of the climate change center, protect biodiversity, including habitats that are critical to the survival of orangutans and tigers; combat illegal logging; and promote sustainable management of forest and marine ecosystems. The Working Group also recognized an important new agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Environment to expand environmental cooperation and launch the “Breathe Easy, Jakarta” partnership. The two sides also expressed strong support for collaborating in a new Tropical Forest Conservation Act program expected to total approximately $20 million to manage tropical forests.
Working Group on Trade and Investment
The co-chairs noted preparation for upcoming meetings of the Trade and Investment Council (TIC) and efforts to intensify engagement in the coming year. Bilateral trade figures reached $23.4 billion in 2010 compared to $18.0 billion in 2009. Indonesia reported that the United States has become the third largest source of investment in Indonesia, with investment reaching $930.9 million in 2010. During the first half of 2011, U.S. investment to Indonesia surpassed $936.1 million. Working Group co-chairs outlined recent commercial engagement successes such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) investment conference and U.S. agriculture and education trade missions earlier this year. As well, the co-chairs announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture are leading a temporary task force, to include participation from government, universities, and the private sector, to explore opportunities for cooperative engagement regarding the development of agriculture research, education, market access, and food security and use of innovative technologies in agriculture. In addition, they recognized growing cooperation on entrepreneurship including a recent U.S. entrepreneurship delegation to Indonesia and Indonesia’s hosting of the ASEAN Regional Entrepreneurship Summit. They welcomed the preliminary meeting of the Commercial Dialogue between the two countries held in Washington, D.C. on July 14, 2011 as an initiative to strengthen the existing Working Group on Trade and Investment under the Joint Commission. These initiatives will create a foundation for further increases in our bilateral trade.
Working Group on Security
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Security reported on the improving military-to-military relationship, including a number of cooperative activities on maritime security, transnational crime, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, peacekeeping, and defense reform/ professionalization. The Working Group noted U.S. support for the continued modernization of the Indonesian military forces and for Indonesia’s construction of a Peacekeeping Training Center. The Working Group noted the U.S. and Indonesian co-chairmanship of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Counter Terrorism Experts Working Group.
Working Group on Energy
The co-chairs of the Working Group on Energy reported on the cooperative activities undertaken since the Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) in June 2010, including the U.S.-Indonesia Energy Investment Roundtable in May 2011 in Jakarta. The highly successful event identified the key policy issues for improving the investment climate in Indonesia’s energy sector and attracting the substantial investment needed for Indonesia to meet its own ambitious production targets for both fossil fuels and renewable energy. The Working Group has already begun cooperating to implement key recommendations from the event, including the July 10-20 Geothermal Power Reverse Trade Mission that the U.S. Trade and Development Agency organized for thirteen Indonesian delegates from the national and provincial government as well as the corporate sector. Additionally, the Working Group is in the preliminary stages of planning a second U.S.-Indonesia Energy Investment Roundtable focused on conventional and unconventional gas to be held this fall. Furthermore, Indonesia and the United States have decided to cooperate on Indonesian efforts to slow the growth of emissions from its energy sector through strategies outlined in Indonesia’s climate change sector roadmap, in particular through cooperation on a $16.2 million Indonesia Clean Energy Development Project that will install 120 MW of clean energy and increase access for 1.2 million Indonesians to clean energy.
Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Natalegawa reaffirmed the importance of the Joint Commission in strengthening the bilateral relationship and offering a strategic vision for enhanced future cooperation. They noted that in addition to regular Joint Commission plenary sessions, the United States and Indonesia are boosting overall senior level dialogue, building relationships between our peoples, and developing institutional relations, not only between governments, but also among civil society, business, and academia. They also underscored cooperation in health, which has made significant progress over the last year, with steps taken to work closely on a variety of health and infectious disease issues. They also highlighted important bilateral science and technology cooperation initiatives.
The two sides plan to hold the next meeting of the Joint Commission in the United States in 2012.
PRN: 2011/1239