Clinton (centre) waves upon her arrival in Jakarta, where 44 children from US President Barack Obama's former elementary school welcomed her. -- PHOTO: REUTERSJAKARTA - US SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday tapped Indonesia - as a democratic and mainly Muslim country - for a key role in the new US administration's foreign policy.
'Building a comprehensive partnership with Indonesia is a critical step on behalf of the United States' commitment to smart power,' she told a press conference here alongside Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.
She said it was important 'to listen as well as talk to those around the world, to support a country that has demonstrated so clearly that Islam, democracy and modernity cannot only coexist but thrive together'. In her first visit to a Muslim country as secretary of state, she said President Barack Obama's administration 'wants to reach out to the entire world' and Indonesia would be an important partner in that effort.
'Certainly Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, the third-largest democracy, will play a leading role in the promotion of that shared future,' she said.
'So we are looking forward to deepening our cooperation on a number of shared issues,' she added, referring to areas such as the global economy, climate change, security and human rights.
Mr Wirajuda said Indonesia - where Mr Obama went to primary school for a few years in the late 1960s - looked forward to US support as the countries of the region seek to shape a 'new architecture' of diplomacy in Asia-Pacific.
Mrs Clinton later met leaders of the Jakarta-based Association of South-east Asian Nations - a 10-nation bloc comprising around 500 million people.
She will meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday before completing her four-nation trip through Asia - her first outing as secretary of state - with visits to South Korea and China. -- AFP
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