Heaptalk, Jakarta — The governments of Indonesia and the United States have agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership in digital transformation. Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, noted that the U.S. has long been a leader in digital technology and cybersecurity.
“Indonesia hopes to learn from their best practices to accelerate our digital transformation agenda,” Budi said during a visit from the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics office in Central Jakarta, on Thursday (09/26).
Budi highlighted opportunities for both countries to deepen their partnership in developing and utilizing information and communication technology. He stated, “Today’s meeting, besides being a friendly gathering, also provides an opportunity for both nations to deepen cooperation in various sectors, including 5G technology, cybersecurity, and the ICT sector.”
Additionally, Budi expressed optimism about more collaboration opportunities, particularly in developing digital infrastructure such as data centers and submarine cables. He noted that Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia from 1994-1996. “With the strategic relationship spanning decades, we hope this meeting will open more doors for collaboration,” he added.
The U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, welcomed the initiative to strengthen bilateral relations. According to her, the U.S. emphasized the importance of cooperation in developing data centers, submarine cables, and cybersecurity training. “We see great potential in this collaboration, and we hope to realize this strategic cooperation by the first quarter of next year,” Kamala said.
Kamala also highlighted the support of the U.S. private sector in enhancing connectivity, especially in rural and remote areas. She added, “Starlink offers an alternative solution to help address Indonesia’s vast geographic challenges and strengthen digital infrastructure resilience.”
In the meeting, Minister Budi Arie Setiadi was accompanied by the Director General of Informatics Applications, Hokky Situngkir, the Minister’s Special Staff, Dedy Permadi, and the Head of the International Institutional Center, Ichwan Makmur Nasution. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir was accompanied by Deputy Political/Economic Chief Christopher Corkey and Digital Economy Officer Lyle Goode.
