Coordinating Minister Mahfud, Ministers, Governor Anies, Ambassadors, Generals, business leaders, and friends. Selamat sore.
Selamat datang dan terima kasih telah hadir di acara yang spesial ini.
Setelah istirahat yang lama, senang sekali bisa merayakan acara ini secara langsung dengan teman – teman terdekat kami. Terima kasih.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Where’s McDonalds? Where’s Pizza Hut? Where’s the Budweiser beer truck? Yes, this Independence Day is a little different. That’s because, after two years under lockdown, we’re starting fresh. And like at a Buka Puasa – you don’t end your fast with a huge feast. You break the fast with takjil, a small taste of something sweet. That’s what this is.
We wanted to gather a fewer of our closest friends, reconnect after too much time, and rejoice in the spirit of renewal. Because as the pandemic wanes, we’re rediscovering how broad our partnership is– from maritime conservation to vaccines, from development to education, from defense cooperation to cultural exchanges.
And it is this collaboration that will provide the fertile ground in which the Indo-Pacific Economic Partnership will thrive, the Garuda Shield exercise will grow, our trade and investment numbers will climb, and we will work side-by-side to build a digital economy, address climate change and discover new frontiers of clean energy and green growth.
The beautiful thing is that all of this is built on our shared democratic values. We are here today celebrating the 246th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. The principles immortalized in that document: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” ring true not just with Americans, but with Indonesians as well. Because these principles are almost identical to the sentiments enshrined in the Pancasila and the Preamble to the Indonesian Constitution.
Those common, shared, foundational values give me great confidence that we will continue to work closely together as strategic partners, in alignment with the ASEAN Outlook, and with ASEAN centrality as our North Star.
Again, thank you for coming this evening. It is an honor to have all of you to my home.
As Prepared.
