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Jokowi’s Washington Visit Could Boost Bilateral Ties – or Highlight Problems

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Jokowi’s Washington Visit Could Boost Bilateral Ties – or Highlight Problems

President Joko Widodo and his team arrive in Washington at an uncertain time in U.S.-Indonesia relations.

Jokowi’s Washington Visit Could Boost Bilateral Ties – or Highlight Problems

Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 5, 2023

Credit: ASEAN Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya

 With major crises in Gaza and Ukraine, the Biden administration might be tempted to overlook the importance of Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s mid-November visit to Washington. That would be a mistake. Indonesia is an important country that is heading into crucial presidential elections in early 2024, and the results of Jokowi’s visit could go a long way to shaping the next Indonesian government’s attitudes toward its relations with the United States.

Although U.S.-Indonesian security cooperation is good and trade has grown, by all accounts Jokowi and his team are heading to Washington feeling less than satisfied on several fronts. First, Indonesians remain upset by President Joe Biden’s decision to skip the recent Indonesia-hosted East Asia Summit, which they took as a serious snub. Biden invited Jokowi in part to make up for that absence, but the White House might have underestimated the extent to which Indonesians remain upset over the initial affront. The protocol-conscious government no doubt will also contrast their modest White House schedule with the lavish welcome recently received by Australian Prime Minster Anthony Albanese.

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