On January 29-30 Ambassador Robert O. Blake led a delegation of twelve U.S. companies and business associations to Batam as part of ongoing efforts to identify trade and investment opportunities for U.S. companies and deepen commercial and diplomatic ties with key cities throughout Indonesia. While in Batam, the Ambassador and delegates met with Kepulauan Riau Governor Muhammad Sani, Batam Mayor Ahmad Dahlan, Batam Indonesia Free Trade Zone Authority (BIFZA) Chairman Mustofa Widjaja and local business leaders. The meetings provided a forum for the U.S. delegates to build important ties with local government and business leaders and explore trade and investment opportunities in Batam and the surrounding area.
“A robust U.S.-Indonesia trade and investment relationship is a cornerstone of our bilateral relations and will help to promote economic growth and greater prosperity for both our countries,” said Ambassador Blake. “Strengthening our commercial relationship is a top priority for me and my entire Embassy team. U.S. investors are among the largest in Indonesia, including right here in Batam, where McDermott’s 1970 investment in its fabrication facility helped to usher in Batam’s extraordinary transformation into the industrial and manufacturing center it is today.”
While in Batam, Ambassador Blake also visited Caterpillar’s new manufacturing facility in Tanjung Uncang and Kinema Studios, an Indonesian production studio that has done cutting-edge animation, production, and post production work with U.S. film and television clients and partners. On January 30, Ambassador Blake also traveled to Bintan Island to visit the Bintan Industrial Estate and Honeywell Corporation’s advanced avionics and aviation technology manufacturing facility.
Participating U.S. companies included AECOM, Amcham Indonesia, APR Energy, Caterpillar, G4S Security Services, GE, Honeywell, MSD, OshKosh and Stonhard.
For more information, contact U.S. Embassy Information Officer, John Johnson, at JohnsonJE@state.gov, or Indar Juniardi at JuniardiI@state.gov.
