Enviro News Asia, Washington, D.C. – Indonesia has begun exploring new cooperation opportunities with the U.S. state of Illinois following a meeting between Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Indroyono Soesilo and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth at United States Capitol in Washington, D.C..
The meeting was part of Indonesia’s diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations with U.S. policymakers and expand cooperation with both the federal government and individual states. As the world’s largest democracy, the United States operates under a three-branch system of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—with the legislative branch consisting of the bicameral United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.
During the discussion, Senator Duckworth—who represents Illinois and serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation with Indonesia in several sectors, particularly agriculture and energy.
Duckworth has a long-standing personal connection with Indonesia, having previously studied at Jakarta Intercultural School in Jakarta and speaking Indonesian fluently. She last visited Indonesia in 2023 and has supported initiatives to strengthen defense and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The senator also emphasized the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a stable and rapidly growing region with a population of around 700 million people, making it an important economic partner for the United States.
One of the key topics discussed during the meeting was agricultural cooperation. In 2025, Indonesia imported approximately 2.21 million tons of soybeans from the United States, accounting for about 87 percent of Indonesia’s domestic soybean demand, with a significant portion produced in Illinois.
Beyond agriculture, Senator Duckworth proposed expanding collaboration in the energy sector, including biomass energy, bioethanol production, and clean coal technology. The proposal received a positive response from Ambassador Indroyono.
The discussion also explored research collaboration between National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) and research institutions in Indonesia with Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. The laboratory, established in 1946 under the United States Department of Energy and operated by University of Chicago, conducts advanced research in physics, biology, energy, and climate change.
Argonne National Laboratory has previously cooperated with Indonesia’s former National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN), now integrated into BRIN, including collaboration on the production of the medical radioisotope Mo-99 and training programs on nuclear non-proliferation.
The laboratory has also supported feasibility studies for hybrid mini-grid electricity systems in Indonesia and developed technology capable of separating CO₂ emissions from coal to produce cleaner energy.
During the meeting, Ambassador Indroyono invited Senator Duckworth to visit Indonesia. The senator welcomed the invitation and expressed interest in leading a delegation from Illinois—including state officials and business leaders—to explore further cooperation opportunities. (*)
