President Joe Biden was then the vice president, and the dialogue took place after Biden’s reaffirmation on diplomacy, multilateralism and the Indo-Pacific commitment.

The pair’s largest bilateral military exercise, Garuda Shield 2021, took place in the same month, and five months earlier, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo participated in President Biden’s Climate Summit, as well as the subsequent summits hosted by President Biden on the economy, energy and COVID-19 in September.

Let me highlight the following points emphasizing the strategic partnership.

First, President Jokowi was one of first democratic leaders to congratulate President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their inauguration and reemphasized an enduring commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership. President Jokowi’s congratulatory message should be interpreted as championing democratic values, as both countries are among the world’s largest democracies.

Second, Indonesia’s strategic partnership with the US has never been based on a partisan approach. It is solidly based on shared values, common goals, mutual respect and benefits. Both countries enjoy cordial long-term engagements, recognizing each other’s essential roles for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Strong cooperation has existed on countering terrorism and violent extremism, promoting pluralism and diversity and defense. The Indonesia-initiated ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific has been welcomed by the US as a key ASEAN contribution to maintaining peace, stability, the rule of law and trust building.

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