WASHINGTON – Indonesia’s leader looked to cement his nation’s growing ties with the United States, declaring after a meeting Monday with President Barack Obama that Southeast Asia’s largest economy intended to join a sweeping U.S.-backed Pacific Rim trade deal.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is making his first Washington visit since winning power a year ago, and is keen to drum up American investment in a flagging economy. U.S. companies complain that economic protectionism makes it difficult to do business there.
“Indonesia intends to join the TPP,” Widodo said in the Oval Office, referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He provided no other details, but described the Indonesian economy as open.
This has been excerpted from a 27 October 2015 news item by The Japan Times and is available in its entirety at:http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/27/business/indonesia-open-economy-will-join-tpp-widodo-says-meeting-obama#.VkzODXarTIU