America has a stake in Indonesia growing and developing, with prosperity that is broadly shared among the Indonesian people -- because a rising middle class here in Indonesia means new markets for our goods, just as America is a market for goods coming from Indonesia.
However, even a reformed Indonesia remains a hard place to do business, both for local entrepreneurs and, especially, for foreign investors.
Like Setiawan, anyone building a business in Indonesia must climb a mountain of permits and licenses.
If this is a sign that Indonesia may be contemplating a regional role commensurate with its stature, it is to be welcomed.
Under ex-President Suharto, himself a general, Indonesia was seen as a model which the regime in Myanmar could use to enable it to hang on to control.
This raises the worrying prospect of a future Indonesia that may remain largely intact politically, but is racked by unmanageable social unrest and shunned by foreign investors.
Finally, largely Muslim Indonesia is a focus of our war on terrorism, meaning the U.S. will do whatever it can to ensure that Indonesia builds a prosperous middle class.
Since a devaluation of Thailand's currency, the baht, in July, undermined confidence in the region as a whole, Indonesia's rupiah has lost a third of its value.
The fact is that Britain is a top arms exporter and Indonesia is a big customer.
The gas engines for the pickups will come from a factory in Indonesia, which will churn out 180, 000 a year, of which 130, 000 will be exported.
With so little agreement on even the most basic questions, with the economy devastated and with racially-motivated violence a constant threat, Indonesia is in for a shaky six months.
His work has been shown on the National Geographic and Animal Planet channels, and he owns a production house called Indonesia Explorer, with a mix of local and international clients.
FORBES: Cahyo Alkantana's Indonesian Playground Beneath the Earth
Lion Air is a low-cost carrier that holds about a 45 percent market share in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago that's seeing a boom in both economic growth and air passengers.
It operates the low-cost aircraft carrier model and holds about a 45% market share in Indonesia, a country spread across around 6, 000 inhabited islands with a population of 240 million people.
At a time when Indonesia seems to be drowning in conflict, their creations strike a precious note of moderation.
Because you come to a place like Indonesia, which is the largest Muslim population in the world, but people here have a lot of other interests, other than security -- that security is important, but I want to make sure that we are interacting with a wide range of people on a wide range of issues.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Yudhoyono Press Availability | The White House
It is perhaps symbolic that OPEC's current president, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, hails from a member country, Indonesia, that has just become a net importer of oil.
But earlier in the year Western diplomats said a major alert had been triggered by the arrival in Indonesia of a suspected al-Qaeda cell.
Rescue work is continuing at a major US-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia after a tunnel collapsed on Tuesday, trapping more than 20 workers.
As a result, Indonesia's government has made it illegal to clear land in this way.
ECONOMIST: Will the neighbours ever dare to penalise the polluters?
They say it is not wise for a country like Indonesia to waste money developing aircraft, missiles, even submarines.
Three years ago, a newly democratic Indonesia seemed about to prove the point.
Science Envoy Bruce Alberts explored new areas for cooperation in Science and Technology during a visit to Indonesia in May.
Registering a property in Indonesia will set you back 11% of its value, against 5.5% in Vietnam and 2% in Hong Kong.
The World Bank reckons that the fees and royalties charged for timber rights, which now cover a third of Indonesia's territory, are too low.
Much as the independent strength and potential in a country like Indonesia can be encouraging, my quest for now kept leading me back to China.
The cartel's most recent decision to raise output was taken, at Saudi urging, at a meeting in Indonesia on the eve of the Asian financial crisis.
Besides winning Indonesia a seat on the United Nations' new human-rights body, Mr Yudhoyono's main foreign-policy achievement so far has been improved relations with the United States.
And I hope that my presence here today is a reminder that, in good times and in bad times, the United States stands as a friend with Indonesia.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Yudhoyono Press Availability | The White House
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