US-ABC Meets with Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto Following Newly Signed Deals with U.S. Defense Companies
(Washington, D.C.) – The US-ASEAN Business Council and its member companies met with Indonesia’s Minister of Defense on August 24, during the Minister’s visit to Washington D.C. During the Roundtable, The Council’s President & CEO, Amb. Osius (ret.) congratulated the Indonesian government on its recent purchase of the F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing on Monday, August 21, and Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk GFA helicopters from Lockheed Martin on August 23.
During the Roundtable, Minister Prabowo highlighted his vision on the importance of U.S.-Indonesia cooperation in the security sector as well as the improvement of food security, expansion of international education exchanges, and implementation of technological innovations and, more importantly, creation of more jobs and economic opportunities for the people in both nations.
Congratulating the remarkable deals between the Government of Indonesia and two of its member companies, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, US-ABC’s President and CEO, Amb. Ted Osius (ret.) stated, “In a world where challenges transcend borders, the importance of fostering strong relationships cannot be overstated. These remarkable deals strengthen Indonesia’s defense capabilities and reflect a mutual commitment to enhance the U.S.-Indonesia strategic partnership.”
US-ABC’s engagement with Minister Prabowo and the Council was attended by the U.S. key stakeholders that have been instrumental in strengthening the US-Indonesia partnership for decades, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense, prominent U.S. think tanks as well as U.S. companies from Aerospace Defense and Security sector as well as other industry sectors such as technology, innovation, finance, and energy, represented by Google, Freeport McMoRan, Boeing, Visa, Exxonmobil and Qualcomm.
Representing the US-ABC member companies at the Roundtable, Google’s Global Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Amb. Karan Bhatia, said that “the U.S. private sector has been a friend of Indonesia for decades. We were pleased to discuss continued cooperation between our two countries, not only in the defense sector but also in technology, innovation, finance, and energy. American technology offers great opportunities to address Indonesia's education, agriculture, healthcare, and sustainability needs, and we look forward to expanding partnerships that ignite innovation and fuel economic growth on both sides.”