    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [May 25, 2005]
    [Pages 874-876]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of
    Indonesia
    May 25, 2005

        President George W. Bush and President Susilo Bambang
    Yudhoyono today reaffirmed the
    longstanding friendship between the United States of America and the
    Republic of Indonesia and committed to expand and deepen their
    cooperation based on partnership and our shared values of democracy and
    pluralism. The two leaders held productive discussions on issues of
    mutual concern at the bilateral, regional, and global levels.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono exchanged congratulations on the successful conduct
    of their respective elections last year. President Bush applauded
    Indonesia's enormous strides in building a durable democracy and noted
    that these successes truly reflect the determination and democratic
    spirit of the Indonesian people. Mindful of the importance of rule of
    law in building democracy and prosperity, the two Presidents agreed to
    establish a joint interagency working group to share experience and
    enhance cooperation on various justice-sector issues and related issues
    of mutual interest.
        On behalf of the American people, President Bush once again
    expressed his sympathy to the Indonesian people and their government
    over the catastrophic loss of life and the material destruction caused
    by recent earthquakes and the December 2004 tsunami. He reiterated the
    commitment of the American people to stand by those affected as they
    rebuild, and he announced that Indonesia will receive $400 million of
    the total $857 million earmarked by the U.S. Government for earthquake
    and tsunami relief and reconstruction. The United States has offered to
    rebuild the Banda Aceh-Meulaboh highway--a 240-kilometer road with over
    110 bridges that serves as a lifeline for much of the west coast of Aceh
    province--setting aside $245 million for the effort. The United States
    will also work with local and national authorities to rebuild homes,
    schools, and clinics and re-establish the means for the people of Aceh
    to return to work. The two Presidents pledged to work together to
    develop a Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Action Plan to increase
    Indonesia's capacity to respond to disasters of all kind. While
    stressing that the primary responsibility for dealing with the tsunami
    disaster and its consequences lies with the government and people of
    Indonesia, President Yudhoyono
    expressed deep appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy and generous
    financial assistance from the government of the United States and
    private American citizens. Recognizing the achievement of private U.S.
    citizens and companies in raising more than $1.4 billion for relief and
    reconstruction of the affected areas, the two Presidents welcomed the
    outcome of the Private Sector Summit held in Washington, D.C., on 12 May
    2005. They commended the efforts of the private sector, led by former
    Presidents George Bush and Bill
    Clinton, in generating such generous
    contributions for the tsunami victims.
        President Bush emphasized his government's support for Indonesia's
    territorial integrity and reiterated that the United States opposes
    secessionist movements in any part of Indonesia. He noted that a strong,
    united, democratic, and prosperous Indonesia will serve as a force for
    stability and progress in Asia and beyond. The President noted that
    reconstruction offers the opportunity for a new beginning in Aceh and
    gave his full support for President Yudhoyono's strong efforts to promote peace. He welcomed the
    ongoing talks to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the
    conflict, based on special autonomy within the framework of a united
    Indonesia.

    [[Page 875]]

        President Bush and President Yudhoyono underscored their strong commitment to fight
    terrorism, which threatens the people of both nations and undermines
    international peace and security. The two leaders rejected any link
    between terrorism and religion and pledged to continue to work closely
    at the bilateral, regional, and global levels to combat terror.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono endorsed cultural and educational exchange visits and
    interfaith dialogue as means for promoting tolerance, mutual respect and
    mutual understanding. The two Presidents pledged to work together to
    support such initiatives. President Bush welcomed President Yudhoyono's
    intention to send prominent Indonesian Islamic scholars to the United
    States to promote inter-faith dialogue.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono agreed that normal military relations would be in the
    interest of both countries and undertook to continue working toward that
    objective. The two Presidents welcomed the resumption of Indonesia's
    participation in International Military Education and Training (IMET) as
    an important step. They also looked forward to the convening of the
    Third Indonesia-United States Security Dialogue in Jakarta in mid-2005
    and called for further meetings of the Bilateral Defense Dialogue. They
    also praised the excellent humanitarian cooperation between the U.S.
    military and the Indonesian military during the tsunami emergency relief
    operations in Aceh. President Yudhoyono reaffirmed his commitment to
    further strengthen military reform, civilian control, and
    accountability. President Bush pledged his full support in these
    efforts. Encouraged by progress in the investigation of the 2002
    incident in Timika, President Yudhoyono reaffirmed that he would
    intensify efforts to ensure that the suspect indicted by a U.S. Federal
    court for the 2002 Timika killings is apprehended and that all those
    responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.
        The two Presidents discussed
    ways to strengthen U.S.-Indonesia economic cooperation and trade
    relations. President Yudhoyono briefed President Bush on his approach to
    Indonesia's development, which he termed ``pro-growth, pro-job, and pro-
    poor.'' He also noted the urgent need to improve Indonesia's
    infrastructure and he invited Americans to participate in that
    undertaking. President Bush welcomed President Yudhoyono's determination
    to further economic reform, to combat corruption, and to improve the
    business and investment climate. Accordingly, the Presidents welcomed
    the $10 million G-8 pilot project to assist Indonesia in its efforts to
    improve the business climate. Stressing the benefits of an open trading
    system, the two Presidents welcomed the resumption of Trade and
    Investment Council (TIC) talks, after a five-year hiatus, under the
    U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). The two
    Presidents encouraged their delegations to continue to make further
    progress in resolving outstanding trade issues, with the aim of
    broadening and deepening our economic relationship.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono discussed the state of the world's energy situation
    and stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and investment
    in the field of energy. To this end, they announced the resumption of
    bilateral energy consultations, the first round of which will be held on
    May 26, 2005, in Washington after an eight-year hiatus, and called on
    participants to report back on progress to the two Presidents before the
    APEC summit meeting later this year.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono reaffirmed the importance of education in U.S.-
    Indonesia relations and agreed to continue placing a high priority on
    cooperation in this field. President Yudhoyono recalled with
    appreciation President Bush's initiative during his visit to Bali in
    October 2003 to provide US$157 million to fund a six-

    [[Page 876]]

    year program designed to strengthen Indonesia's basic education
    capacity. The two leaders hailed the initial success of this program in
    enriching the educational experience of Indonesian children. They also
    agreed to expand opportunities and improve the quality of higher
    education for Indonesian students, including by increasing the number of
    Indonesian students studying in the United States.
        President Bush and President Yudhoyono exchanged views on international developments,
    particularly those in the Asia-Pacific region. President Bush expressed
    appreciation for Indonesia's role in strengthening the Association of
    Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and for efforts to achieve an ASEAN
    Security Community. The two Presidents exchanged views on Iraq and on
    prospects for peace in the Middle East, and they expressed support for
    two democratic states living side by side in peace and security.
    President Bush welcomed the intention of President Yudhoyono to help
    promote peace in the Middle East. President Bush congratulated President
    Yudhoyono on the successful convening of the Second Asian-African Summit
    in Jakarta, 23-24 April 2004.
        The two Presidents welcomed the
    development in the Asia-Pacific region of an open and inclusive
    institutional architecture that reinforces peace and stability and
    contributes to economic development and prosperity. They welcomed the
    contributions of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in
    supporting trade and investment liberalization and for its cooperative
    efforts to combat threats to regional security. The two leaders
    underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation and, in this
    context, agreed on the need to pursue reform of the United Nations as a
    means to improving its effectiveness.
        The two leaders affirmed that
    the United States of America and Indonesia, two of the world's largest
    democracies, are bound by an abiding friendship and a common
    appreciation of diversity, tolerance, and freedom as a source of
    enduring strength.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.