[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.