Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Meets with Indonesia's Minister Of Trade Dr. Mari Elka Pangestu

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke hosted a meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Trade Dr. Mari Elka Pangestu at the Commerce Department today. This was the first meeting between Minister Pangestu and Secretary Locke.

The pair expressed support for expanding U.S.-Indonesia economic and trade relations as a means of deepening the overall bilateral relationship.

“We look forward to establishing a comprehensive partnership between our two countries,” Locke said. “As the world’s oldest and fourth-largest democracies respectively, the United States and Indonesia should draw upon shared interests to expand trade, development, and security in the critical Pacific Rim region and beyond.”

Locke expressed his support for the Commerce Department’s ongoing cooperation with the government of Indonesia, and cited this as a positive model for promoting U.S. exports in the future.

The secretary also raised U.S. concerns about recent regulations which have had a negative impact on the trade and investment climate in Indonesia and encouraged Indonesia to resist raising barriers to open markets amidst the global economic downturn. Secretary Locke expressed his support for continued Commerce Department cooperation with the Government of Indonesia in a wide variety of areas, including enhanced protection for intellectual property rights.