Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Senator Tammy Duckworth, from the state of Illinois, the United States (U.S.), has expressed his commitment to continue promoting efforts to enhance the strategic partnership between Indonesia and the U.S.

Duckworth made his statement in a meeting with Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in Washington D.C. on Monday (Aug. 2).

Senator Duckworth, who once stayed in Indonesia for more than seven years, is among those who push for Indonesia-U.S. collaboration in dealing with the pandemic.

Minister Retno and Senator Duckworth also discussed the development of regional issues of common concern, such as the conflict in Myanmar and the peace process in Afghanistan, as well as subjects related to the Indo-Pacific region.

In addition, Retno also visited several U.S. pharmaceutical and health industries, including a pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly; a pharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture of mRNA vaccines, Arcturus; and a research center for recombinant protein vaccines, Baylor College of Medicine.

During the visit, Eli Lilly's management stated that they would provide support for COVID-19 medicines for Indonesia worth 51.6 million U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, Retno also discussed the possibility of collaboration in developing mRNA-based vaccines in Indonesia.

Reporting by Indonesia Window