Remarks by Ambassador Blake on USABC Mastel MOU Signing, Jakarta
Pleasure to be here today with Minister Rudiantara, Alex Feldman, and Pak Kristiono to witness this new partnership between US-ASEAN Business Council and Mastel.
11 days ago President Obama and President Jokowi elevated our relations to a strategic partnership, President Jokowi announced Indonesia’s intension to join TPP, and we concluded more than $20 billion of new contracts and investments.
So there is new and encouraging momentum both in Indonesia and in our bilateral relations.
The USABC visit is another important step forward.
And this new partnership between these two great private sector organizations will help to strengthen our countries’ cooperation in support of our mutual ICT development goals.
I want to commend Minister Rudiantara and Minister Lembong for the great job they did explaining to investors in Silicon Valley the important changes taking place in Indonesia and the important opportunities in the tech sector and digital economy.
Last week Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Charles Rivkin met with digital leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to promote partnership between the United States and Indonesia.
He was pleased to meet with Minister Rudiantara to explore ways in which we can apply U.S. support and technology solutions to Indonesia’s broadband and e-commerce expansion plans.
It is clear that the U.S. tech sector knows Indonesia and sees the promise of Indonesia’s digital transformation.
USABC and MASTEL members and other companies have already answered the call.
Google will bring its cutting edge connectivity technology LOON to Indonesia in 2016 with its telecom partners, Telkomsel, Indosat, and XL Axiata
Microsoft will provide its Office 365 software free to about 50 million Indonesian students, and will support the rollout of the program to ensure it is viable.
Facebook will train small and medium enterprises to better take advantage of online platforms to grow their businesses.
I look forward to supporting this new partnership between Mastel and USABC as you create new avenues of cooperation in developing the ICT industry and form new partnerships between the United States and Indonesia.
Congratulations! And thank you.
As prepared.
