The visit of the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Indonesia this week is not a signal of better relations between both countries, since actually our relations have been cordial for some time, with ups and downs along the way.
But it is more likely a confirmation by Washington that Indonesia indeed is an important regional player.
Its sheer population size of 230 million, vast territory, an abundance of natural resources, a full-fledged Muslim-populated democratic country have made Indonesia too big to ignore.
The most important thing we should do in order to get something from this visit is to clearly define our interests with relation to the United States.
What should we prioritize - politics, the economy, socio-cultural issues or what?
Based on that, we could then preempt the United States by putting our agenda onto the table first, rather than waiting for it to decide what will be discussed. Then, we could use the capital we have.
As the economic pressure is increasing in Indonesia, due to the unfolding global economic crisis, I think we need to put economy matters high on our agenda.
The rest will follow suit. We need to pay attention to the consequences of the "Buy American" clause in the stimulus package approved by Congress on Indonesian exports, for example.
We also need to invite the United States to finish some unresolved matters regarding US investments in energy and mining in Indonesia. Maybe we could put forward project proposals that will give Indonesia a better advantage, as well as technology transfer.
Maybe we can seek cooperation with the United States in enhancing our human resources by being given scholarships for our students, be it full grants or partial ones, to be trained in US universities.
By the end of the day, it is human resources that are the most important factors that will keep our democracy and economic development sustainable.
A stable, prosperous, as well as democratic, Indonesia serves not only the Indonesian people, but also the United States which has profound interest in keeping the region a stable and prosperous one.
Ferry Akbar Pasaribu
Jakarta
