(usinfo.state.gov) - President Bush's trip to Indonesia in mid-November -- his second -- will be an opportunity to emphasize U.S. cooperation with nations that have large Muslim populations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.
Bush will have an opportunity to highlight the strength of U.S.-Indonesian economic and military ties, Rice said in a November 8 interview with Indonesia's Metro Today.
Congress is considering a foreign spending bill for the fiscal year that began October 1 that would provide $5 million in military aid and $70 million in economic assistance to Indonesia, reports Trend.
Rice noted that the United States has identified Indonesia as a "threshold" country for the Millennium Challenge aid program, which provides assistance to nations that demonstrate good government practices and fight corruption. She said the United States will work with the Indonesians to make them eligible" for Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) funding by helping it address specific areas of policy weakness.
The president's trip also will be a chance to discuss bilateral military ties. Rice said Indonesia has been a good partner in the struggle against terrorism and has cooperated in intelligence sharing and through training programs. Indonesia has demonstrated democracy in action even as it fights terrorists on far-flung archipelagoes, she added. The United States has "an excellent relationship" with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his government, the secretary said. "We are very pleased with our relationship on the war on terror."
Although the Bush administration has made "difficult decisions" in the war on terror that have not been popular in some Muslim-majority countries, the United States has "enormous respect" for the Islamic faith, Rice said.
"We share Muslim values because they're a part of our own," the secretary said. A 2004 survey estimates there are more than 1.5 million American Muslims in the United States; other surveys estimate much higher figures.
Rice said that during her travels through the Middle East and Indonesia she found that people in countries with Muslim majorities value democracy, education and the right to worship.
During her visit to Indonesia in March, the secretary said, she saw a "wonderful Islamic school" where boys and girls were learning together and working together on science projects. "Every mother and father wants that for his or her child," she said.
Americans care about their families, and they are people of faith, Rice said. Indonesia, she said, is another example of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state, where people live in peace and harmony and in a democracy.
Bush will travel to Indonesia after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Vietnam. He also is scheduled to travel to Singapore prior to the APEC meeting.