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resident Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has promised that his administration will pay more attention to the growing role of the Indonesian diaspora and seek a way to allow dual citizenship for Indonesian citizens and their families who have permanently settled overseas.

The pledge was made during a gathering of more than 1,000 Indonesians living in the United States, on Sunday, local time, at the residence of the Indonesian Ambassador to United States Budi Bowoleksono.

'€œI will push for [dual citizenship]. It can be settled soon,'€ Jokowi said in his response to a question raised by an Indonesian named Hani, who urged the government to immediately amend Law No. 12/2006 on citizenship to allow of the diaspora to have dual citizenship.

Existing regulations do not allow Indonesians to have dual citizenship.

If an Indonesian is awarded citizenship in another country, the person'€™s Indonesian citizenship is automatically declared invalid.

Some 8 million Indonesian are estimated to be living overseas.

'€œMy son was born in the United States. I'€™m afraid he cannot be an Indonesian citizen. I want him to have a dual citizenship. Please have the law revised,'€ said Hani, who lived in what she called a kampung Indonesia (Indonesian village) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where many Indonesians reside.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said her office was aware of the issue, adding that a studies by a number of institutions, including the government itself, had been conducted since last year to evaluate the benefits of dual citizenship.

'€œIf the President has said so, it means that the direction [of future policy] is already clear now,'€ Retno said during the event.

'€œThe government is siding with the diaspora because we see great potential in it to support national development. Therefore, such assets need to be managed well through establishing good cooperation,'€ she added.

The Indonesian Diaspora Business Council (IDBC) has suggested that the financial power of the Indonesian diaspora has begun to benefit the nation, with remittances from Indonesians abroad reaching US$8.4 billion last year.

According to Retno, the formation of a special subunit in 2012 to oversee the diaspora was one example of the government'€™s seriousness in accommodating the growing influence of the diaspora.

Jokowi also told the crowd of his stern policies while in office highlighting the sinking of 113 foreign vessels caught fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.

'€œThere are people who said that I am not decisive. Well I'€™ve already sunk 113 ships. That tells a lot,'€ he said.

The meeting was held shortly after Jokowi arrived in Washington on Sunday afternoon. The President touched down in the US after a 29-hour journey on the presidential plane that transited in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and Amsterdam.

Aside from First Lady Iriana and Minister Retno, Jokowi was also accompanied by Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki and Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Franky Sibarani.

Prior to meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday afternoon, Jokowi held one-on-one meetings with ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO Ryan Lance, General Electric Co. vice chairman John G. Rice, Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO Dana J. Hyde and Chevron Corp executive vice president for upstream business James W. Johnson, according to Retno.

In the meeting with Obama, Retno said four issues would be high on the agenda. The first issue to be discussed will be Indonesia'€™s role as the nation with the world'€™s largest Muslim population, and one that adheres to a democratic culture of pluralism and tolerance.

The second issue will be Indonesia'€™s commitment to developing an open economy and a hopes for better cooperation with the US.

'€œOur recent policies have helped us reveal to the world that we are committed to opening up our economy,'€ said Retno.

She explained that the third issue would involve Indonesia'€™s business potential in the digital industry.

'€œThere is so much untapped potential for US businesses in this industry. We are projected to be the biggest in Southeast Asia by 2020.'€

The fourth issue would comprise talks on climate change, she said.

After the meeting with Obama, Jokowi is slated to witness the signing of 19 business deals worth some $20 billion in various sectors, according to Retno.

Jokowi will cut short his visit to the US after receiving reports of worsening haze problems in Indonesia. He was originally scheduled to travel to San Francisco on Tuesday and visit Silicon Valley to forge new partnerships in the IT industry.

'€œWe'€™re going home tomorrow [Tuesday local time]. We will directly head to South Sumatra or Central Kalimantan.'€