REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The United States Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, acknowledges the Government of Indonesia for its leadership in Southeast Asia, according to a press release from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

Blinken expressed appreciation at a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2016.

The meeting discussed an agreement to enhance cooperation in combating Illegal, Undocumented, Unreported (IUU) Fishing.

Regarding the issue, the two governments also discussed Indonesia's plan to host the Our Ocean Conference 2018 as a result of a meeting of Our Ocean Conference 2016 which was recently held in Washington DC on September 2016.

The two sides also appreciated the cooperation to enhance pluralism and tolerance through an inaugural meeting of Indonesia-US Council on Religion and Pluralism in Yogyakarta in 2016.

The Indonesian and the United States governments have also agreed to increase cooperation in the future to build a spirit of interfaith tolerance and pluralism.

Furthermore, the Indonesian government invites the United States to attend the Bali Democracy Forum on December 8-9, 2016 in Bali.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika