JakartaGlobe-Nov 14
US President Joe Biden on Monday approved an initiative to support the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, or Bakamla, in the maritime surveillance drone program.
The initiative will enable Bakamla to procure drones, pilot training, and maintenance that will significantly enhance the agency’s capabilities related to maritime domain awareness, maritime law enforcement, and countering illegal fishing, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Jakarta.
Advertisement. Biden arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to participate in the G20 Summit and had a bilateral meeting with President Joko Widodo.
The embassy said that in the fiscal year 2022 alone, the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are planning to provide Indonesia with more than $150 million in bilateral development and security assistance. The Coast Guard Capacity-Building program is one of a series of initiatives the Biden administration is willing to work together with the Indonesian government.Biden also announced the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, in which both countries have “successfully concluded negotiations to launch a $698 million MCC Compact, supported with $649 million from the United States and $49 million from Indonesia”. “The Compact will support the development of high-quality, climate-conscious transportation infrastructure in five provinces; mobilize international capital in support of Indonesia’s development goals, in part by building the capacity of Indonesia’s financial markets; and increase access to finance for Indonesia’s women-owned businesses and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises,” the US Embassy said. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/biden-approves-maritime-surveillance-drone-program-for-indonesia
