INDONESIA GOOD PARTNER FOR US TO REACH OUT TO MUSLIM WORLD

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, Feb 19 (Bernama) - Indonesia, while expecting assistance from the
United States to weather the current global economic crisis and attain its
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), offers itself as a good partner to the
superpower in reaching out to the Muslim world.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told visiting US State Secretary
Hillary Clinton that Indonesia was not only the country with the largest Muslim
population but had also proven to the world that Islam, democracy and modernity
could exist successfully here.

"We have proven here that Islam, democracy and modernity can go hand in
hand. As an active promoter of dialogues among civilisations, religions and
cultures, Indonesia will be a good partner for the US in reaching out to the
Muslim world," he said at a joint press conference after meeting with Clinton
for about an hour at his office here, Wednesday.

Hassan said both countries had agreed to extend regional and bilateral
cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, education, health ,
climate change, security cooperation in the larger sense and people-to- people
contact including exchanges of youths and students.

"We agreed to cooperate to promote prosperity and welfare of the people and
that it is equally important as promoting democracy. Hence, democracy and
prosperity are mutually reinforcing. We will be working closely to promote
development cooperation to help Indonesia attain the MDGs," he said.

Earlier, Clinton's arrival here was greeted by a small demonstration not at
the Indonesian Foreign Ministry but several kilometres away in front of the US
Embassy.

Meanwhile, Clinton during another press conference after visiting the ASEAN
Secretariat here, said her visit to Indonesia was an effort to convey the
message that the US was reaching out to the entire world.

She said ASEAN was a key to what the US envisioned as renewed and vigorous
commitment to diplomacy and development.

At the headquarters of the grouping of ten countries in the region, she said
that she and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan had discussed the
signing of ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

"I am proud to announce the (President Barack Hussein) Obama administration
will launch our formal inter-agency process to pursue accession to the treaty,"
she said.

Dr Surin in his remarks earlier, said Clinton's visit to the Secretariat was
historical as it was the first by a US State Secretary to the home of the
regional organization representing some 576 million people.

He said during their meeting he and Clinton touched on several issues
including global economic security and agreed to join hands to coordinate and
consolidate, and create synergy to cope with the impact of the global financial
crisis and to find the best means to cushion the communities from economic
distress.

"In this connection, I welcome Secretary Clinton's strong commitment not to
erect trade and other barriers. We must remain committed to a system of open
and fair trade as she has said," he added.

Dr Surin also welcomed the Obama administration's commitment to launch
inter-agency processes to pursue accession to the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation, which he saw as the reaffirmation of the US's political and
security commitment to this region.
-- BERNAMA