President Barack Obama's high appreciation of Indonesia is related to at least two things.

First, Obama's administration wants to approach the Islamic countries by first strengthening its cooperation with the moderate ones. Indonesia is the best one to begin with because it has the largest Muslim population in the world.

Second, as the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of G20, Indonesia can play an important role in a collective effort to revitalize the global economy. Let us contextualize Hillary Clinton's visit by analyzing the economic dimension first.

The United States and Indonesia find themselves in a global situation where close cooperation among nations is the only way to build a better future.

In the midst of a worsening global financial crisis there is a strong tendency for many nations to return to economic nationalism as a solution to the decline of external demand for their goods and services.

For instance, the Democrats in the US Congress talked about the need to make it obligatory for the stimulus-funded infrastructure projects to use domestically produced iron and steel.

The spirit of "buying American" is on the rise now in the United States as the American people do not want to export their capital to other countries. At the same time, politicians in France and Britain demanded that taxpayers' money used to bail out the ailing banks should be lent at home (The Economist, Feb. 5, 2009).

It is very likely that countries like Japan and China will do exactly the same thing. Capitalizing on the potential of the domestic market has become a commonly accepted economic paradigm. Apparently, the consensus that was made during the G20 meeting in Washington last November has been put under an increasing pressure.

It is in Indonesia's vital interests to persuade the United States not to start the snowball effect of protectionism. The United States is one of Indonesia's major trading partners. On top of that, if the United States closes its market it will immediately affect our major trading partners in East Asia like Japan, South Korea and China whose combined trade with us constitutes more than one-third of the total volume of our international trade.

The US government is also committed to the sustainability of Indonesia's economic growth. So far, Indonesia has become an important recipient of American economic assistance through various kinds of development projects.

The United States has been particularly active in providing assistance in the education sector, especially in the post-tsunami reconstruction of Aceh. A prosperous Indonesia is not only important for regional stability in Southeast Asia, but it is also good for American investors who are interested in the exploitation of the nation's rich natural resources.

The perpetuation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the Middle East and the apparent powerlessness of Obama's administration in putting an end to the conflict have created mixed feelings about the new US government.

On one hand, there is doubt whether the new administration can really change the fundamental perennial premises of the US policies in the Middle East and on the other hand there is a cautious optimism that Obama will bring new hope for the future of the Palestinians.

Putting the Palestinian issue aside, Indonesia remains an important friend for the United States. We can even say under Obama's administration bilateral relations between the two nations will become a new barometer in the whole reconstruction of US ties with the Muslim world. The new American approach to foreign policy really needs the support of the moderate voices of the Muslim world.

Together with Indonesia, whose workable compatibility between Islam and democracy is a real diplomatic asset, the United States can do a lot of things to marginalize the voice of the radical side of Islam all over the world.

Thus, Indonesia's position has become increasingly indispensable for Obama if he is really serious with his promise to build constructive dialogs with the Muslim world.

There is a high probability now that Indonesia will be chosen as the place where Barack Obama will deliver his important speech for that particular purpose later this year.

As a former first lady and a US Senator, Clinton has an extensive knowledge of foreign relations. In addition to the talk about the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, her mission here includes the conveying of firsthand information on Obama's new policy approaches toward the Islamic world and the importance of Indonesia's role in implementing them.

As far as the Indonesian government is concerned, the US initiative to introduce the new face of its foreign policy should be welcomed. Although it is not by design, Clinton's visit can be seen as a tacit support for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla before the elections as the two need international recognition of their role in consolidating and stabilizing Indonesia's democracy over the last five years.

At the societal level, it is very likely that the situation will not be that rosy. Most Indonesians, especially the Islamic constituents, will not applaud the new US government too early, before it can fulfill all its promises especially with regard to the resolving of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. We just hope Clinton has the necessary diplomatic shrewdness in convincing all of us that her boss at the White House is really committed to a more peaceful and harmonious world.

The writer is a professor of international politics at the Department of International Relations, Pelita Harapan University, Karawaci.

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