Remarks by President Obama and President Yudhoyono of Indonesia Before Expanded Bilateral Meeting

Istana Merdeka

Jakarta, Indonesia
November 9, 2010

6:01 P.M. WIT

PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO:  Mr. President and the delegate, first of all, I would like to once again welcome you to Jakarta, Indonesia.  Thank you for visiting us and I am hoping that your visit will mark another milestone in our bilateral relations.

We have discussed many issues on our bilateral relation as well as on the regional and global affairs.  And I am optimistic that we could further promote, deepen and expand our bilateral friendships, partnerships, and cooperations.

I would like to give the floor to you firstly on how could we further expand and deepen our bilateral cooperations.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Excellent.  Well, thank you very much, Mr. President.  And to your delegation and to the people of Indonesia, thank you for your hospitality and the warm greeting that we’ve already received.

We had an excellent conversation.  It was so good that it ran over the scheduled time. And so I think the recommendation has been that we use this expanded bilateral just to try to summarize some of the discussion that we’ve already had and the meeting of the minds that we’ve had on a range of issues.

Obviously the most important thing that comes out of this visit is finalizing the comprehensive partnership between our two countries.  We are very invested in making this successful because it is our belief that Indonesia is not just a rising regional power but a rising world power.  And as the world’s two most populous — two of the three most populous democracies, as countries that I think share a tradition of pluralism and diversity, for us to work together —

(Press pool is escorted from the room.)

END
6:04 P.M. WIT