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Indonesia, US settle trade row after Jokowi meets Pence
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United States Vice President Mike Pence speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex in Washington on Feb. 27. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
T
he topics of fair trade, investment and stronger security cooperation dominated a one-hour discussion between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and United States Vice President Mike Pence at the State Palace on Thursday.
The US vice president, who is in Jakarta as part of a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour just two weeks after US President Donald Trump called for an investigation into the “trade imbalance” between the US and 16 countries, including Indonesia, was paying Jokowi a courtesy call.
In a joint press conference after Thursday’s talks, held on the veranda of the State Palace over a cup of tea, Jokowi said Indonesia had secured commitments from the US to improve the US-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, which the President said would focus on trade and investment in the future.
“Next month, there will be a team that will discuss management of bilateral trade and investment based on a win-win principle,” said Jokowi, adding that both Indonesia and the US would also strengthen cooperation for peace.
(Read also: Jokowi welcomes US Vice President Mike Pence at Presidential Palace)
Speaking after Jokowi, Pence said that Trump put a high value on the US-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, which was established by the two countries in 2011 during the era of Trump’s predecessor, Barrack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Jakarta.
Pence said that both Indonesia and the US must work to break down barriers to ensure that American exporters can fully participate in the Indonesian market, the same freedom that Indonesian exporters have had in many sectors in the US for many years. (jun)
