US President Biden meets Indonesia’s Jokowi, finalises new partnership

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and United States President Joe Biden on Monday (Nov 14) met in Bali and underscored the importance of their countries’ strategic ties by finalizing a new partnership.

Ahead of a two-day Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit which kicks off on the Indonesian resort island on Tuesday, Widodo said he appreciated his US counterpart’s support and attendance.

“I hope that the G20 Summit can present concrete cooperation and can help the recovery of the global economy,” said Jokowi, as the Indonesian president is popularly known.

Calling Indonesia a vibrant and critical partner, Biden said the two countries must work together to pursue a better future. He also announced details of a new partnership to be unveiled on Tuesday.

Through the Millennium Challenge Corporation – a foreign aid agency established by the US – nearly US$700 million will be invested in developing high-quality transportation and infrastructure in Indonesia, said Biden.

“Tomorrow, we’ll unveil a transformative new partnership to support Indonesia’s clean energy transition.”

The two leaders also discussed Indonesia’s upcoming 2023 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the US White House in a statement.

The Indonesia-US talks come ahead of a much-anticipated bilateral meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later on Monday.

It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office almost two years ago, and at a time when relations between the superpowers are at their lowest in decades.

Biden said last week he would discuss with Xi US concerns over Taiwan, Russia’s war in Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

The war in Ukraine and tensions between countries have overshadowed Indonesia’s G20 presidency, resulting in walkouts during several meetings.

Agencies