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Obama's Indonesian visit :
Economy, anti-terror top agenda
INDONESIA: Even though the visit of the United States President
Barrack Obama to Indonesia was initially aimed at launching wide-ranging
partnership with Indonesia, experts said that the issues of economy and
anti-terrorism would top the agenda of his talks with President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, the Jakarta Post reported here on Wednesday.
Siswanto, a fellow researcher at the Indonesian Institute of science
(LIPI) said that economy and anti-terrorism would top the agenda because
the main U.S. interests rested on how to cope with domestic economic
downturn and to woo Indonesia's support for its unpopular worldwide
counter terrorism campaign.
"Indonesia's largest bargaining chip is the anti-terror campaign and
its strategic position connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans,"
Siswanto said.
Half of the world's trade vessels pass through the Malacca Straits,
which have become a source of concern because of vulnerability to piracy
as well as terrorist attacks.
The U.S. depends largely on Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for the
safety of Malacca Strait and has sought to cooperate closely with them
despite reluctance from Indonesia over sovereignty issue. "The U.S. is
still very interested in making Indonesia its military base to address
terror and maritime security," Siswanto added.
Indonesian senior diplomat Hashim Djalal said that climate change and
the environmental agenda might receive a minor highlight because of the
lack of urgency compared to the issues of economy and anti-terrorism.
Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has become
the vanguard of counter terrorism after the splinter group of Jemaah
Islamiyah turned the archipelago into their Southeast Asia base to
launch terror attacks.
Muslim Scholar Azyumardi Azra said that both Obama and President
Yudhoyono were preoccupied with how to improve their declining
popularity at home.
The meeting will be used to advance cooperation to boost their own
interests. Jakarta, Xinhua |
