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Skriven 2005-05-25 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050525b) for Wed, 2005 May 25
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Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of
Indonesia
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 25, 2005

Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of
Indonesia



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
Mitiga

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.

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 t

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 outsta

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-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.

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