June 30, 2023
JAKARTA – Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan has called for more concrete efforts to elevate the ties between Indonesia and the United States in a speech delivered at a US Independence Day celebration in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.
Luhut also called for a “more innovative” means to enhance the Indonesian-US partnership amid a changing geopolitical landscape, citing initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity and the Just Energy Transition Partnership as future models for collaboration.
“It is crucial to strengthen our ties to address the changing geopolitical and geostrategical landscape and to lay down stronger foundations for our ties today and tomorrow […] We have the momentum today. On the political and security front, we welcome continued engagement,” Luhut said in his prepared remarks.
Luhut was the guest of honor for the celebration of the 247th US Independence Day at the private residence of US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y. Kim in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.
Also attending the celebration were US Ambassador to ASEAN Yohannes Abraham and ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Michael Tene.
Earlier in the evening, Ambassador Kim said that the superpower nation remained committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific and that there was more room for the US-Indonesia partnership to grow.
“Our partnership enhances regional security. Together, we are protecting our shared goal of a free, open, peacefuland resilient Indo-Pacific [..] For me, the most exciting aspect of our great partnership is the enormous potential for us to do more together,” said Kim, who is expected to vacate his post later this year.
In the latter part of his speech, Luhut personally thanked Kim for his tireless work in maintaining ties between Indonesia and the US, two of the world’s largest democracies.
“I heard that your term in Indonesia is ending, we’re going to miss you,” Luhut said.
Then president Donald Trump appointed Kim ambassador to Indonesia in July 2019 replacing his predecessor Joseph Donovan Jr..
Kim helped organize Trump’s 2018 summit in Singapore with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.