SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON STATE SECRETARY:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002446

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, EAP/MLS, OES, EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SENV ENRG PINR ID
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON STATE SECRETARY:
PORT SECURITY; CLIMATE CHANGE; ENERGY


Classified By: AMBASSADOR CAMERON R. HUME for reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see Para 7.


2. (C) Summary: On September 4, Ambassador Hume paid a
courtesy call on Minister of the State Secretary Hatta
Rajasa, who serves as the gatekeeper for nearly every issue
that goes before President Yudhoyono. The Minister
emphasized his desire to continue the close cooperation with
the U.S. Embassy he enjoyed as Transportation Minister
(2004-07). The Minister also raised cooperation with the
U.S. Coast Guard, climate change, and energy. The Ambassador
stressed the importance of keeping broader environmental
goals in mind and not just focusing on the Kyoto Treaty, an
inclusive approach that the Minister said he personally
supported. End Summary.


3. (SBU) During Ambassador Hume's September 4 courtesy call,
the Minister told the Ambassador that, having worked closely
with the Federal Aviation Authority and the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) while Transportation Minister,
he sought to increase cooperation with the U.S. Embassy. He
asked about the timetable for TSA to decide about lifting the
public notice on Bali's Denpassar airport. The Minister
emphasized his desire to continue cooperation with the U.S.
Coast Guard in the Malacca Straits and various Indonesian
seaports, saying that he supported not only security
improvements, but also skills transfer to help develop
Indonesia's human resources. The Ambassador responded that a
Coast Guard team would soon be returning to Indonesia and
that the U.S. was committed to helping Indonesia meet
international safety and security standards.


4. (C) The Minister noted that Indonesia would host a UN
summit on global climate change in Bali in December. He
explained that Indonesia was focused on reforestation
programs and asked the Ambassador for U.S. views. The
Ambassador pointed out that no single answer would prove to
be a panacea and stressed that cooperating partners with the
same end goals could opt for different approaches. The
challenge, however, was for the international community to
get the best result through coordination and cooperation. In
this regard, the Bali Summit should ensure that nations could
move forward whether they were able to sign on to the Kyoto
Treaty or not. The Minister indicated that he personally
supported this inclusive approach. The Ambassador also told
the Minister that the U.S. could assist reforestation efforts
and stated that coal-reliant nations, including Indonesia and
the U.S., needed to cooperate to develop better clean coal
options.


5. (SBU) The Minister cited statistics indicating that demand
for electricity consumption in Indonesia was rising at a rate
of eight percent annually, adding that only 60 percent of the
population had access. He said Indonesia lacked sufficient
oil and gas for its future needs, and pointed out that the
technology did not yet exist to utilize cleanly Indonesia's
coal reserves, which he claimed would last one hundred years.
Nevertheless, he said, nuclear power was not popular, and he
anticipated it would be 10 to 15 years before the public
would accept a nuclear power plant. The Minister also
briefly touched upon Indonesia's bio-diesel fuel program, but
noted that palm oil prices shot up as a result of oil being
diverted to the program.


5. (SBU) The Ambassador briefly raised U.S. plans to build a
new Embassy and possible land title questions that may be
holding up the approval process. The Minister promised to
check with the relevant ministries, saying that it was only
fitting that the U.S. had a modern embassy.


6. (SBU) Bio Notes: The Minister told the Ambassador that
prior to his political career he had frequently visited the
U.S., particularly Houston, to procure drilling rigs for the
oil company he founded and managed (Arthindo). He looked
forward to attending the United Nations General Assembly
along with President Yudhoyono this month, and hoped he would
have the opportunity to reconnect with Ambassador Pascoe.
He also mentioned that his son had recently graduated with an
undergraduate degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia
and will soon return to Drexel for postgraduate work. The

JAKARTA 00002446 002 OF 002


Minister speaks accented, but near fluent English.


7. (SBU) Action Request: Mission requests information on TSA
decision to lift the public notice on Denpassar airport in
Bali.

HUME