Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 25, 2026 at 03:09 AM

Indonesia Ambassador backs ANTARA plan to reopen US bureau

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Katriana, Nabil Ihsan

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ambassador to the United States, Indroyono Soesilo, welcomed ANTARA News Agency’s plan to resume its presence in the United States through a bureau and pledged to facilitate the process.

Soesilo said he had conveyed his support for the plan to Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions in New York on Tuesday (September 22).

“ANTARA News Agency can support reporting on bilateral relations in the political, economic, social, cultural, and people-to-people spheres under the framework of the Indonesia-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Soesilo told ANTARA on Thursday.

The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., will facilitate ANTARA’s coverage of activities involving the US federal government, the US Congress, and the governments of all 50 states, as well as government and private-sector partners and the Indonesian diaspora in the country, he said.

ANTARA’s presence in the United States can also help bridge more than 280 million Indonesians and more than 340 million Americans through positive and constructive reporting that can contribute to stronger bilateral ties.

“It can strengthen relations between the two largest democracies,” Soesilo added.

According to an embassy statement, Hafid and Soesilo also discussed potential Indonesia-US partnerships in communications and digital technology.

During the meeting, Hafid said ANTARA’s presence in the United States is expected to strengthen the dissemination of news about Indonesia to American audiences while providing prompt and balanced reporting on developments in bilateral relations.

Indonesia and the United States recorded bilateral trade worth US$43 billion in goods and services in 2025, with Indonesia recording a surplus of around US$19 billion, according to the figures cited in the source material.

Meanwhile, the embassy recorded 8,348 Indonesian students studying at US universities during the 2023/2024 academic year, making Indonesia the second-largest source of international students from Southeast Asia.

The embassy said stories about the Indonesian diaspora, including the efforts of small businesses to enter the US market and the achievements of Indonesian students and researchers, would be appropriate themes for ANTARA coverage.

ANTARA News Agency offers a diverse range of media products and operates an extensive network of bureaus across Indonesia, covering all provinces, as well as two active overseas bureaus in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

During its previous presence in the United States, ANTARA was based at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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