Indonesian minister hails upgraded US-Jakarta ties as ‘very timely’

[JAKARTA] The time is right for Indonesia to deepen its ties with the United States, the country’s vice-foreign minister Pahala Mansury has said.

Referring to the two sides’ recent agreement to upgrade their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), he told The Business Times in an interview in Jakarta: “Very few countries in Asia have that level of relationship with the US.”

He noted the many components to the partnership, which covers areas such as the economy, politics, healthcare and education, and added: “It’s very timely for Indonesia to deepen its engagement with the world’s largest economy, as we need to ensure more resilient supply chains.”