U.S. official says scientific cooperation with Indonesia to benefit both

English.news.cn 2010-05-10 18:18:03

JAKARTA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. senior official promised Indonesian government here on Monday that the further possible science and technology cooperation between the United States and Indonesia would be benefiting to each other.

Speaking on the sidelines of his meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the visiting U.S. special envoy for science and technology affairs Bruce Alberts said there has been misunderstanding of such cooperation, particularly when it was established with developed countries.

"The reason of my appointment as the envoy was not to take something. I was tasked to encourage towards good cooperation," the U.S. envoy said.

Bruce said that Indonesia would eventually be a great and powerful nation only if it is using the science and knowledge.

"Indonesia can be a rich country should it use the correct science and knowledge. We can help Indonesia to attain that condition. Some fears (related to the scientific cooperation with the U.S.) had persisted in a number of cooperation with Indonesia in the past," Bruce was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Due to the fear that results from bird flu research conducted in U.S-Indonesia 'Namru' joint laboratory would be misused by the U.S.military for its own interest, Indonesia closed down the laboratory last year.

Indonesian president is scheduled to sign documents on several cooperation wrapped in comprehensive agreements with the United States during the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama scheduled for June this year.

Indonesian presidential spokesperson Dino Pati Djalal said that President Yudhoyono preferred cooperation in science, knowledge and other non-political sectors would dominate the comprehensive agreements with U.S..