REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake said that the trade sector would play a key role in strengthening ties between the United States and Indonesia in the future.
While giving a public lecture at the University of Indonesia in Depok, West Java, on Wednesday, Blake stated that the reason for optimism in relations between the two countries was the growth seen in their bilateral trade and the prospects for even higher growth in the future, according to the US Embassy's official website.
Through a comprehensive partnership, the United States cooperates bilaterally, regionally, and globally to promote economic growth, sustainable development, and poverty alleviation. One of the ways to achieve these was by supporting an open and transparent, rules-based international trading system.
The US supported greater Indonesian participation in global bodies, such as the G-20, which took place last weekend. We seek to reduce barriers to trade and investment through mechanisms such as our Trade and Investment Working Group, Blake noted.
Despite the recent double digit growth in trade, Blake pointed out: "We've still got a long way to go. Indonesia is currently our 34th largest trading partner. We welcome its initiative to establish a U.S.-Indonesia Business Council based in Washington DC. Moreover, we have also held workshops to help to support the development of small and medium enterprises."