Indonesia will soon be coming to a theater near you. Julia Roberts will be taking a good part of the United States to Bali in August 2010.
Click Here to See a Trailer for "Eat, Love, Pray"
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Obama Delays Trip
This seemed inevitable but regrettable.
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on
Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia scheduled
for next week to focus on the final push for a U.S. healthcare
overhaul, the White House said.
"The president regrets the delay," White House spokesman Robert
Gibbs told reporters, saying the Indonesia visit would be reset
for June. He said Obama, who had been due to leave on Sunday for
the South Pacific, had called Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and planned to phone Australian Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd.
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on
Thursday scrapped his trip to Indonesia and Australia scheduled
for next week to focus on the final push for a U.S. healthcare
overhaul, the White House said.
"The president regrets the delay," White House spokesman Robert
Gibbs told reporters, saying the Indonesia visit would be reset
for June. He said Obama, who had been due to leave on Sunday for
the South Pacific, had called Indonesian President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and planned to phone Australian Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Obama's Trip/ S & P Upgrade
As has been previously been reported, President Obama was scheduled to visit Indonesia March 20-22 where he would be a state guest of Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. White House Press Spokesman, Robert Gibbs, announced this morning that Obama would delay his trip by 3 days so he can remain to support his health care legislation. I am impressed that he didn't cancel his trip altogether or postpone it indefinitely. This should help continue this Administration's strong moves to put southeast Asia and Indonesia much more on par with other regions vis a vis US diplomacy. Although the Bush administration maintained good connections in the region and with Indonesia, US preoccupations with Iraq and Afghanistan prevented the full range of diplomatic contact that the region and country deserves.
During the upcoming visit, President Obama is expected to sign a “comprehensive partnership” agreement, a document that will lay out a structure for a more intensive government to government relationship on a broad range of topics: climate change/environment, food security, education, trade and investment, security cooperation. His other activities are yet to fully emerge and its regrettable that his delay prevents him from taking his wife and daughters. Obama, clearly could make a much stronger impression in family-oriented Indonesia with them. Indonesia's are very excited to receive someone whom they claim is part of their family and its clear Obama relished the opportunity to show his family his old school, neighborhood and foods. Hopefully he will get a second chance to do this.
While the impetus for the comprehensive partnership agreement was clearly from Indonesia—which has signed similar agreements recently with China, India, South Korea, and Japan—the US has embraced the process. Combined with other actions and activities such as signing the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and establishing an ambassador for ASEAN, US diplomacy with Southeast Asia has been significantly rebalanced.
It is not clear yet what the “takeaways” for US business will be in the agreement, given that it is not a binding document such as a treaty and does not supersede existing law in either country. US and Indonesia businesses, however, did express their suggestions for the partnership through several forums and the agreement should --at a minimum-- increase the chance of freeing existing bottlenecks that inhibit more trade and investment .
S & P Upgrades Indonesia’s Rating
S & P has upgraded Indonesia’s sovereign foreign currency rating to BB from BB- with positive outlook, the first upgrade in 4 years and highest since 1998. This puts Indonesia’s rating on par with Turkey and one notch below investment grade. Indonesia’s Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani has made this her goal for 2010. The hard work of Indonesia, to put its financial house in order, is paying off. Indonesia's cost of borrowing will drop, increasing the chances that job creating investment can come to the country. Why on earth did its Parliament spend months and months trying to get rid of one of the officials most responsible for making this great development happen ?
During the upcoming visit, President Obama is expected to sign a “comprehensive partnership” agreement, a document that will lay out a structure for a more intensive government to government relationship on a broad range of topics: climate change/environment, food security, education, trade and investment, security cooperation. His other activities are yet to fully emerge and its regrettable that his delay prevents him from taking his wife and daughters. Obama, clearly could make a much stronger impression in family-oriented Indonesia with them. Indonesia's are very excited to receive someone whom they claim is part of their family and its clear Obama relished the opportunity to show his family his old school, neighborhood and foods. Hopefully he will get a second chance to do this.
While the impetus for the comprehensive partnership agreement was clearly from Indonesia—which has signed similar agreements recently with China, India, South Korea, and Japan—the US has embraced the process. Combined with other actions and activities such as signing the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and establishing an ambassador for ASEAN, US diplomacy with Southeast Asia has been significantly rebalanced.
It is not clear yet what the “takeaways” for US business will be in the agreement, given that it is not a binding document such as a treaty and does not supersede existing law in either country. US and Indonesia businesses, however, did express their suggestions for the partnership through several forums and the agreement should --at a minimum-- increase the chance of freeing existing bottlenecks that inhibit more trade and investment .
S & P Upgrades Indonesia’s Rating
S & P has upgraded Indonesia’s sovereign foreign currency rating to BB from BB- with positive outlook, the first upgrade in 4 years and highest since 1998. This puts Indonesia’s rating on par with Turkey and one notch below investment grade. Indonesia’s Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani has made this her goal for 2010. The hard work of Indonesia, to put its financial house in order, is paying off. Indonesia's cost of borrowing will drop, increasing the chances that job creating investment can come to the country. Why on earth did its Parliament spend months and months trying to get rid of one of the officials most responsible for making this great development happen ?
Monday, March 1, 2010
President backs Boediono and Sri Mulyani
The Bank Century scandal has festered for many months as a special Parliamentary committee investigated the controversial bailout that occurred in November 2008. Each political faction of the committee made a conclusion based on their interpretation of the information they uncovered. Some factions named VP Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani as responsible for illegal losses to the state with the implication that they should resign or be impeached. Other factions backed them. The full Parliament is slated to hear and vote on the report in a matter of days. The vote has no direct legal bearing on the status of either official. It was heartening for those who believe that the bailout was made in good faith that the President took ultimate responsibility in his announcement yesterday:
"Although it was the finance minister who made the decision, I
say the decision is correct. And I am responsible for it and I
did not give any direction," Yudhoyono told bankers at the State
Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
"The policy is a choice of existing options. It was made with
authority, undertaken with good intention. From the situation,
he or she was forced to make a decision and it should be quick,"
the President added.
An ongoing investigation has found --and will probably continue to find-- evidence of criminal irregularities in how the bailout was administered. But with the President providing cover for Boediono and Sri Mulyani, it seems for now at least, that the government and (Boediono and Mulyani) can continue their reform work in earnest without this distraction.
"Although it was the finance minister who made the decision, I
say the decision is correct. And I am responsible for it and I
did not give any direction," Yudhoyono told bankers at the State
Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
"The policy is a choice of existing options. It was made with
authority, undertaken with good intention. From the situation,
he or she was forced to make a decision and it should be quick,"
the President added.
An ongoing investigation has found --and will probably continue to find-- evidence of criminal irregularities in how the bailout was administered. But with the President providing cover for Boediono and Sri Mulyani, it seems for now at least, that the government and (Boediono and Mulyani) can continue their reform work in earnest without this distraction.
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