Enviro News Asia, Washington, D.C. — The US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) held an introductory meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United States, Indroyono Soesilo, in Washington, D.C. on November 12, 2025.
The meeting was attended by leading companies including Freeport-McMoRan, Lockheed Martin, and Visa, as well as representatives from the U.S. Government including the Department of State and the Department of War. Also present were Ambassadors and representatives from ASEAN countries in Washington, D.C., along with former U.S. Ambassadors to Indonesia such as Joseph Donovan and Cameron Hume. This reflects the close network of relations among Indonesia, the United States, and ASEAN member states.
The meeting underscored USABC’s continued commitment to deepening economic partnership with Indonesia, consistent with the “Bisnis AS untuk Indonesia (BISA)” report. The report, launched by USABC on October 14, 2025, showcases the tangible contributions of American companies to Indonesia’s economic development.
USABC President and CEO, Ambassador Brian McFeeters (Ret.), stated that the Council views Indonesia as a key strategic partner in the ASEAN region and is committed to continuing support for Indonesia’s national development agenda.
Ambassador Indroyono Soesilo expressed appreciation for the support and contributions of USABC and American companies in Indonesia, emphasizing that the Indonesian Government is committed to strengthening economic relations with the United States, particularly within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The partnership with the U.S. supports the implementation of President Prabowo’s Asta Cita program, which emphasizes human capital development, improved public welfare, industrialization and downstreaming, and strengthening of national defense.
“We hope that the partnership with USABC and its member companies can be further enhanced through concrete projects in investment, trade, technology, human capital empowerment, and job creation. We also encourage U.S. companies to explore business expansion by utilizing Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025, which simplifies the licensing process, and to engage Indonesian STEMM students from top U.S. universities for internships in major industries,” said Ambassador Indroyono.
During the occasion, several USABC member companies participating in the event shared positive outcomes from their operations in Indonesia and expressed enthusiasm to further explore future business opportunities with Indonesia. (*)
These companies emphasized that their presence in Indonesia is not merely commercial in nature, but also contributes to capacity building, including technology transfer, human resource development, and the implementation of sustainable environmental management practices.
The Indonesian Ambassador and USABC agreed to continue strengthening coordination across various cooperation agendas to support mutually beneficial economic growth between Indonesia and the United States, including in critical mineral downstream development, energy security, digital economy and ICT, health, food security, creative economy, and defense technology. (*)
