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Agreement will bring US-RI ties to new high, experts say

International relations experts agree that Indonesia will greatly benefit from the strategic partnership agreement it will launch with the United States during a bilateral meeting today between the countries’ leaders

Mustaqim Adamrah (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, November 9, 2010

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Agreement will bring US-RI ties to new high, experts say

I

nternational relations experts agree that Indonesia will greatly benefit from the strategic partnership agreement it will launch with the United States during a bilateral meeting today between the countries’ leaders.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an international relations expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said Monday there had been “ups and downs in many areas” in bilateral relations between Indonesia and the United States, but a comprehensive partnership agreement would stabilize bonds and bring relations to a higher level.

“The presence of a comprehensive partnership agreement symbolically represents a higher level for Indonesia-United States relations,” she said.

“With the agreement, Indonesia-US cooperation will be more in order and systematized,” she added.

Dewi said in the past bilateral cooperation with the US was done separately and ad hoc by sectors — another reason to strengthen relations with the agreement.

“In the future, both countries are expected to make regular efforts to review their relations [under the agreement],” she said.

Another international relations expert, Indria Samego of the Habibie Centre, said the agreement would force the US take greater account of Indonesia in its decisions due its leader’s emotional connectivity to the archipelago.



With the [agreement], bilateral cooperation will be more structured, measurable and predictable.



US President Barack Obama, who is slated to visit Indonesia today after twice canceling previously scheduled visits, spent four years of his childhood in Jakarta.

“At least during the [implementation] process or the finalization [of the agreement], the US will also take into account [Obama’s] emotional connection,” Indria said.

The agreement, expected to be launched by Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a joint declaration, will cover the areas of politics and security, economics and development, culture, education, science and technology, human rights, health, energy and food, according to Foreign Ministry director general for American and European affairs Retno Marsudi.

She said both countries had agreed to a blueprint and would continue to establish a plan of action.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton, launched the plan of action in Washington on Sept. 17 to implement the comprehensive partnership.

“The [partnership] is not a short-term document and is based on shared values. It is forward looking. It emphasizes the importance of the bilateral relationship and reflects the high commitment of both presidents to opening a new page in the countries’ relationship,” Retno said.

“With the [agreement], bilateral cooperation will be more structured, measurable and predictable.”

She said the countries had proposed a joint commission that would annually review bilateral cooperation in the fields covered by the agreement.

“Everything will be much clearer,” Retno said, underlining the fundamental difference in the Indonesia-US relations before and after the launch of the agreement.

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