INDONESIA - CAIRO IS HERE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000086 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/PD, EAP/RSP S/P (GREG BEHRMAN) NSC FOR PRADEEP RAMAMURTHY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL SOCI KISL EAID KPAO ID XF SUBJECT: INDONESIA - CAIRO IS HERE REF: A. STATE 71325 ¶B. JAKARTA 1832 and previous ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The President's vision of a "New Beginning" with the Muslim world is alive and well in Indonesia. This new era of global engagement has allowed us to make significant advances to our Comprehensive Partnership with Indonesia--the Muslim world's largest democracy. When President Obama and President Yudhoyono met last November, they pledged to strengthen the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership in key areas such as interfaith dialogue, democracy and economic reform, science and technology, entrepreneurship, people to people ties, climate change, and health; a perfect match with the President's global engagement effort. END SUMMARY. INTERFAITH DIALOGUE ¶3. (SBU) On January 25-27, we will engage in the first bilateral interfaith working group event under the Cairo Initiative at the request of the Government of Indonesia. The event will focus on building communities through interfaith work as a component of the Comprehensive Partnership. Former Foreign Minister Wirajuda proposed this dialogue to Secretary Clinton when she visited Jakarta last year. We expect this event will serve as a model for similar dialogues throughout the Muslim world. It will bring leaders from the private, civil and government sectors together to create actionable plans for addressing common challenges. PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION ¶4. (SBU) U/S Burns attended the second Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) held last December in Indonesia. The forum was created by the Indonesian government so that Indonesia could play a greater leadership role in the region by promoting regional democratization. The BDF was attended by representatives from 36 Asian countries and 13 observer nations. We are working with the BDF's programming arm, the Institute for Peace and Democracy, to provide training, election visits, policy-oriented research and field studies to advance the democratic process throughout Asia. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ¶5. (SBU) Science Envoy Dr. Bruce Alberts unfortunately had to cancel his visit to Indonesia in late January. But he already plans to continue discussions and exploration of areas of science ;partnership including application of science discoveries, science education and increasing institutional science linkages between both countries. We hope to finalize a Science and Technology Agreement before President Obama's expected visit to pave the way for deeper scientific exchanges. The Embassy has organized a series of events in coordination with the Indonesian government and private sector companies to address food security and provide opportunities for U.S. companies in biotechnology. Mission has promoted the concept of a Center for Sustainable Ocean Fisheries to encourage fisheries research, fisheries management, and monitoring. ENTREPRENEURSHIP ¶6. (SBU) We have an opportunity to partner with Indonesia on entrepreneurship. Indonesia is enthusiastic to cooperate; government officials and business leaders have already expressed interest in hosting a follow-on event in Indonesia to President Obama's Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington. Cooperation in entrepreneurship also provides a positive framework to address economic and investment climate reform issues and highlights our links to fast-growing Asian markets critical for U.S. growth. Increased investment in entrepreneurship in Indonesia holds potential for significant gains. PEOPLE TO PEOPLE TIES ¶7. (SBU) Plans to construct a high-tech, 21st century public diplomacy venue targeting Indonesian youth continue. Using a "whole of government" approach, we will take public diplomacy outside the embassy to a popular shopping mall to connect at "The American Place." This venue will have dynamic, regularly changing programming, involving public and private partners to provide a uniquely American experience. EDUCATION ¶8. (SBU) We are strengthening higher education cooperation by JAKARTA 00000086 002 OF 002 working to double the number of Indonesian students in the U.S. and U.S. students in Indonesia. We also are working to increase university-to-university partnerships and expand exchange programs, such as Fulbright, English immersion and community college programs. Using USAID funds, we are creating university linkages between U.S. and Indonesian universities to partner on child protection and biodiversity research. CLIMATE CHANGE ¶9. (SBU) Indonesia continues to play a positive role in international climate change talks and is associating itself with the Copenhagen Accord. It will likely be one of the first countries to inscribe its domestic actions with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat prior to the UN deadline, and it is taking a leadership role in encouraging other countries to inscribe as well. HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS ¶10. (SBU) President Obama and President Yudhoyono called for deepening U.S.-Indonesia cooperation in combating infectious diseases when they met in November in Singapore. Health cooperation is an important part of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership and a critical priority for both countries. The establishment of the Indonesia-U.S. Center for Biomedical and Public Health Research (IUC) would provide an ideal platform for long-term engagement on infectious disease research and applied public health solutions that will benefit both countries. To do that, however, we must be able to assuage Indonesian political sensitivities over U.S. military involvement. HUME