Ambassador Donovan’s Remarks at the Ceremonial Signing between Boeing and Lion Group

Ambassador Donovan’s Remarks at the Ceremonial Signing between Boeing and Lion Group (State Dept. / Erik Kurniawan)

Good afternoon!  Thank you for inviting me to join this special occasion.  I also want to express my thanks to Boeing, Ambassador Rusdi and Minister Budi for joining us.

I would like to congratulate Boeing and the Lion Group on this partnership, yet another example of the strong economic relationship between the United States and Indonesia, and the benefits both countries achieve by deepening our cooperation.

Forging stronger economic and trade ties between the United States and Indonesia is an integral part of our bilateral Strategic Partnership.  This sale will enable Lion Air to support the continued growth of tourism in Indonesia, bringing greater economic development throughout this beautiful archipelago.  It also helps our bilateral trade relationship.

The U.S. vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific underscores open investment environments and free, fair, and reciprocal trade, which benefits everyone, including Indonesia, a leader in the Indo-Pacific region.

Aviation is a sector of great importance to both our countries and American firms help form the backbone of Indonesia’s growing aviation sector.

This is why we established the U.S. – Indonesia Aviation Working Group.  This working group serves as a key forum for American and Indonesian aviation stakeholders, such as Boeing, the Lion Group, and many others, to engage with each other on a wide range of topics from safety to air traffic control to facilitating the growth of Indonesian aviation.

I am so pleased to witness this signing, which is another excellent reminder of Boeing’s long-term involvement in developing Indonesia’s booming aviation sector.

Again, allow me to congratulate Boeing and the Lion Group on their partnership.