Condi's visit in Indonesia: Day One, no metal detector please!
What a hectic day for US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. She arrived at Jakarta's Halim Perdana Kusuma airport (not the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, I guess because of security concerns, as few days ago the airport received bomb threats) around 1PM.
She went on straight to an Islamic boarding school (Madrasah Al-Makmuriyah) in Jakarta, where she announced the plan to produce Sesame Street Indonesian version with US funds of US$8.5 million. Oops, Mrs Rice didn't aware that the school also teach its students mathematics and science. Outside the school compound, some people waged a protest on US policies.
The prelude of a lunch at Foreign Affairs Ministry's Office tells an interesting story when the cameraman from MetroTV Eko Widodo admitted that one of US military officers guarding Mrs Rice reportedly threatened to shoot him when he tried to take the picture. It was Indonesian military officer who warned Widodo that if he keeps focusing the camera to the US officer, "the US military officer will shoot you."
After the meeting, Mrs Rice told the press that Indonesia and the United States have agreed to enhance military cooperation, among other things through the international military education and training (IMET) program.
The US State Secretary also said like cooperation in the economic, health and educational fields, military cooperation was one way to enhance the two countries` bilateral relations which had been in lexistence for a long time.
Rice hoped US cooperation with Indonesia in many fields could be further improved as Indonesia was playing a significant role in the world as a country where harmnious inter-religious, inter-ethnic and inter-racial life was well-maintained.
Condi also expressed hope that Indonesia`s role in representing moderate Islam could be further increased so as to make a valuable contribution to the settlement of conflicts in the world.
She went on straight to an Islamic boarding school (Madrasah Al-Makmuriyah) in Jakarta, where she announced the plan to produce Sesame Street Indonesian version with US funds of US$8.5 million. Oops, Mrs Rice didn't aware that the school also teach its students mathematics and science. Outside the school compound, some people waged a protest on US policies.
The prelude of a lunch at Foreign Affairs Ministry's Office tells an interesting story when the cameraman from MetroTV Eko Widodo admitted that one of US military officers guarding Mrs Rice reportedly threatened to shoot him when he tried to take the picture. It was Indonesian military officer who warned Widodo that if he keeps focusing the camera to the US officer, "the US military officer will shoot you."
After the meeting, Mrs Rice told the press that Indonesia and the United States have agreed to enhance military cooperation, among other things through the international military education and training (IMET) program.
The US State Secretary also said like cooperation in the economic, health and educational fields, military cooperation was one way to enhance the two countries` bilateral relations which had been in lexistence for a long time.
Rice hoped US cooperation with Indonesia in many fields could be further improved as Indonesia was playing a significant role in the world as a country where harmnious inter-religious, inter-ethnic and inter-racial life was well-maintained.
Condi also expressed hope that Indonesia`s role in representing moderate Islam could be further increased so as to make a valuable contribution to the settlement of conflicts in the world.
She then paid a courtesy call to president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. She arrived at the State Place at 3.45PM and didn't have to pass the metal detector routine like anybody entering the president's office. The president raised the concern on deadlock of peace process in Korean peninsula. Outside the palace, 600 protesters from an Islamic organization shouts anti-US slogans. "Sharon = Dead, Slobodan = Dead, Bush = In the process", the banners said. Or simply, "Go to hell Condoleeza Rice."
Mrs Rice then meet economic ministers led by coordinating minister for the economy Dr Boediono. The meeting didn't discuss specific issues such as Freeport or ExxonMobil, Dr Boediono told the press. They're only discussing macro issues. Indonesia, as Dr Boediono said, expects US government's help in luring in US companies' investment to the country.
The US assistance to Indonesia in the Fiscal Year 2006 include:Education: $31.9 million, Health & Water: $33.3 million, Democracy: $36.3 million, Economic Growth: $21.9 million, Environment: $6.9 million, Tsunami reconstruction: $400 million, Avian Influenza: $11 million, and Peace in Aceh: $11 million.
But Health Minister said US is yet to disburse the promised funds to help the country cope with avian influenza that already killed 22 people.
Labels: ExxonMobil, FREEPORT
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posted by yosef at 11:52 PM
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