President Joe Biden was then the vice president, and the dialogue took place after Biden’s reaffirmation on diplomacy, multilateralism and the Indo-Pacific commitment.

The pair’s largest bilateral military exercise, Garuda Shield 2021, took place in the same month, and five months earlier, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo participated in President Biden’s Climate Summit, as well as the subsequent summits hosted by President Biden on the economy, energy and COVID-19 in September.

Let me highlight the following points emphasizing the strategic partnership.

First, President Jokowi was one of first democratic leaders to congratulate President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their inauguration and reemphasized an enduring commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership. President Jokowi’s congratulatory message should be interpreted as championing democratic values, as both countries are among the world’s largest democracies.

Second, Indonesia’s strategic partnership with the US has never been based on a partisan approach. It is solidly based on shared values, common goals, mutual respect and benefits. Both countries enjoy cordial long-term engagements, recognizing each other’s essential roles for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Strong cooperation has existed on countering terrorism and violent extremism, promoting pluralism and diversity and defense. The Indonesia-initiated ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific has been welcomed by the US as a key ASEAN contribution to maintaining peace, stability, the rule of law and trust building.

Third, President Jokowi firmly supported President Biden’s initiative on climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, and he actively participated in meetings on those issues as they are common priorities.

On climate, four bilateral joint working groups have been established to facilitate progress and shared ambitions. Both leaders share the view that progress should be concrete rather than rhetorical and the US$100 billion in annual support committed to in the Paris Agreement should be implemented to help developing countries like Indonesia attain more ambitious targets.

On COVID-19, the US contributed vaccines to help Indonesia fight the virus, and both countries are collaborating to expand the production capacities of vaccine and therapeutic medication, as well as ensure preparedness for future pandemics.

Fourth, the US remains the most important country for Indonesians in the field of higher education. People-to-people interactions should, therefore, be further enhanced, including among officials at many levels. Indonesia supports the pursuit of global supply chain resilience and presents itself as a competitive destination for investment by corporations, including those on small and medium scales. The digital economy and technologies – including low-carbon technologies and lithium batteries for electric vehicles – are potential sectors for both countries to pursue.

Finally, since the inauguration of President Biden on Jan. 20, engagements at the leadership level have taken place in US-initiated summits, in which President Jokowi always participated with a positive spirit and concrete contributions. The COVID-19 and climate emergencies are crucial issues requiring strong national and global leadership, and in this context, Indonesia’s presidency of the Group of 20 next year could further reinvigorate global solidarity through strengthening diplomacy and multilateralism.

The first Indonesia-US strategic dialogue at the foreign ministerial level coincided with the beginning of Indonesia’s coordinatorship of the ASEAN-US strategic partnership for the next four years. Notwithstanding the latest dynamics, the strategic partnership should continue to be based solidly on shared values and common objectives that require continuous nurturing through close interactions at all levels to promote peace, prosperity and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Indonesia will maintain its strong commitment to promoting constructive dialogues and adherence to the rule of law rather than military projections. Such commitment has characterized Indonesia’s independent and active policies in line with the Constitution.  

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The writer is the director general for American and European affairs at the Foreign Ministry. The views expressed are his own.