[Marinir] Joint Statement Between the USA and the RI

[Yap Hong Gie]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050525-11.html 

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 25, 2005

Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the
Republic of Indonesia

President George W. Bush and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
today reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between the United
States of America and the Republic of Indonesia and committed to
expand and deepen their cooperation based on partnership and our
shared values of democracy and pluralism. The two leaders held
productive discussions on issues of mutual concern at the bilateral,
regional, and global levels.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono exchanged congratulations on
the successful conduct of their respective elections last year.
President Bush applauded Indonesia's enormous strides in building a
durable democracy and noted that these successes truly reflect the
determination and democratic spirit of the Indonesian people.
Mindful of the importance of rule of law in building democracy and
prosperity, the two Presidents agreed to establish a joint
interagency working group to share experience and enhance
cooperation on various justice-sector issues and related issues of
mutual interest.

On behalf of the American people, President Bush once again
expressed his sympathy to the Indonesian people and their government
over the catastrophic loss of life and the material destruction
caused by recent earthquakes and the December 2004 tsunami. He
reiterated the commitment of the American people to stand by those
affected as they rebuild, and he announced that Indonesia will
receive $400 million of the total $857 million earmarked by the U.S.
Government for earthquake and tsunami relief and reconstruction. The
United States has offered to rebuild the Banda Aceh-Meulaboh
highway - a 240-kilometer road with over 110 bridges that serves as
a lifeline for much of the west coast of Aceh province - setting
aside $245 million for the effort. The United States will also work
with local and national authorities to rebuild homes, schools, and
clinics and re-establish the means for the people of Aceh to return
to work. The two Presidents pledged to work together to develop a
Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Action Plan to increase
Indonesia's capacity to respond to disasters of all kind. While
stressing that the primary responsibility for dealing with the
tsunami disaster and its consequences lies with the government and
people of Indonesia, President Yudhoyono expressed deep appreciation
for the outpouring of sympathy and generous financial assistance
from the government of the United States and private American
citizens. Recognizing the achievement of private U.S. citizens and
companies in raising more than $1.4 billion for relief and
reconstruction of the affected areas, the two Presidents welcomed
the outcome of the Private Sector Summit held in Washington, D.C.,
on 12 May 2005. They commended the efforts of the private sector,
led by former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, in generating
such generous contributions for the tsunami victims.

President Bush emphasized his government's support for Indonesia's
territorial integrity and reiterated that the United States opposes
secessionist movements in any part of Indonesia. He noted that a
strong, united, democratic, and prosperous Indonesia will serve as a
force for stability and progress in Asia and beyond. The President
noted that reconstruction offers the opportunity for a new beginning
in Aceh and gave his full support for President Yudhoyono's strong
efforts to promote peace. He welcomed the ongoing talks to achieve a
peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict, based on special
autonomy within the framework of a united Indonesia.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono underscored their strong
commitment to fight terrorism, which threatens the people of both
nations and undermines international peace and security. The two
leaders rejected any link between terrorism and religion and pledged
to continue to work closely at the bilateral, regional, and global
levels to combat terror.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono endorsed cultural and
educational exchange visits and interfaith dialogue as means for
promoting tolerance, mutual respect and mutual understanding. The
two Presidents pledged to work together to support such initiatives.
President Bush welcomed President Yudhoyono's intention to send
prominent Indonesian Islamic scholars to the United States to
promote inter-faith dialogue.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono agreed that normal military
relations would be in the interest of both countries and undertook
to continue working toward that objective. The two Presidents
welcomed the resumption of Indonesia's participation in
International Military Education and Training (IMET) as an important
step. They also looked forward to the convening of the Third
Indonesia-United States Security Dialogue in Jakarta in mid-2005 and
called for further meetings of the Bilateral Defense Dialogue. They
also praised the excellent humanitarian cooperation between the U.S.
military and the Indonesian military during the tsunami emergency
relief operations in Aceh. President Yudhoyono reaffirmed his
commitment to further strengthen military reform, civilian control,
and accountability. President Bush pledged his full support in these
efforts. Encouraged by progress in the investigation of the 2002
incident in Timika, President Yudhoyono reaffirmed that he would
intensify efforts to ensure that the suspect indicted by a U.S.
Federal court for the 2002 Timika killings is apprehended and that
all those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.

The two Presidents discussed ways to strengthen U.S.-Indonesia
economic cooperation and trade relations. President Yudhoyono
briefed President Bush on his approach to Indonesia's development,
which he termed "pro-growth, pro-job, and pro-poor." He also noted
the urgent need to improve Indonesia's infrastructure and he invited
Americans to participate in that undertaking. President Bush
welcomed President Yudhoyono's determination to further economic
reform, to combat corruption, and to improve the business and
investment climate. Accordingly, the Presidents welcomed the $10
million G-8 pilot project to assist Indonesia in its efforts to
improve the business climate. Stressing the benefits of an open
trading system, the two Presidents welcomed the resumption of Trade
and Investment Council (TIC) talks, after a five-year hiatus, under
the U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
The two Presidents encouraged their delegations to continue to make
further progress in resolving outstanding trade issues, with the aim
of broadening and deepening our economic relationship.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono discussed the state of the
world's energy situation and stressed the importance of
strengthening cooperation and investment in the field of energy. To
this end, they announced the resumption of bilateral energy
consultations, the first round of which will be held on May 26,
2005, in Washington after an eight-year hiatus, and called on
participants to report back on progress to the two Presidents before
the APEC summit meeting later this year.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono reaffirmed the importance of
education in U.S.-Indonesia relations and agreed to continue placing
a high priority on cooperation in this field. President Yudhoyono
recalled with appreciation President Bush's initiative during his
visit to Bali in October 2003 to provide US$157 million to fund a
six-year program designed to strengthen Indonesia's basic education
capacity. The two leaders hailed the initial success of this program
in enriching the educational experience of Indonesian children. They
also agreed to expand opportunities and improve the quality of
higher education for Indonesian students, including by increasing
the number of Indonesian students studying in the United States.

President Bush and President Yudhoyono exchanged views on
international developments, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific
region. President Bush expressed appreciation for Indonesia's role
in strengthening the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
and for efforts to achieve an ASEAN Security Community. The two
Presidents exchanged views on Iraq and on prospects for peace in the
Middle East, and they expressed support for two democratic states
living side by side in peace and security. President Bush welcomed
the intention of President Yudhoyono to help promote peace in the
Middle East. President Bush congratulated President Yudhoyono on the
successful convening of the Second Asian-African Summit in Jakarta,
23-24 April 2004.

The two Presidents welcomed the development in the Asia-Pacific
region of an open and inclusive institutional architecture that
reinforces peace and stability and contributes to economic
development and prosperity. They welcomed the contributions of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in supporting trade
and investment liberalization and for its cooperative efforts to
combat threats to regional security. The two leaders underlined the
importance of multilateral cooperation and, in this context, agreed
on the need to pursue reform of the United Nations as a means to
improving its effectiveness.

The two leaders affirmed that the United States of America and
Indonesia, two of the world's largest democracies, are bound by an
abiding friendship and a common appreciation of diversity,
tolerance, and freedom as a source of enduring strength.

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050525-11.html