Biden supports free nutritious meal program initiated by Prabowo

Jakarta (ANTARA) - United States President Joe Biden expressed his support for the free nutritious meal program initiated by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Indonesia.

This was conveyed in a statement released by the White House on the whitehouse.gov page after the two leaders' meeting at the White House, Washington D.C., the United States, on Tuesday local time.

"President Biden also expressed support for Indonesia’s national program to provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and expecting mothers," the White House wrote in a statement as quoted on Wednesday.

Moreover, the two countries committed to increasing health cooperation by developing clinical research, public health goals, and health systems to address new and chronic health conditions and infectious diseases, including tuberculosis.

In the statement, the two leaders also welcomed the inking of a future memorandum of understanding on health between Indonesia and the United States.

This effort highlights the strong commitment of both countries to collaborate to realize Indonesia's health transformation goals.

During the meeting, Biden and Prabowo also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the tsunami disaster that hit coastal communities in the Indian Ocean region, including Aceh Province in Indonesia.

The United States has disbursed over US$400 million in emergency aid to Indonesia and has helped more than 580 thousand people affected by the tsunami.

In the future, the two presidents will build on such experience and expand cooperation by signing a memorandum of understanding between disaster mitigation agencies.

"The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to boost disaster risk reduction and to work together on humanitarian aid and disaster relief to other vulnerable locations," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Biden and Prabowo underscored their plans to deepen cooperation in education, research, and development to build strong people-to-people ties.

The two leaders announced the opening of a new American Corner in Makassar in 2025 and welcomed further cooperation to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM); language education; and entrepreneurial collaboration, with a focus on women, youth, and people with disabilities.

Furthermore, Biden and Prabowo emphasized the importance of recognizing and respecting their respective cultural heritage, which serves as an invaluable bridge in fostering stronger people-to-people ties.

Prabowo lauded the United States for its support in protecting Indonesia’s cultural heritage from the increasing threat of illicit trafficking, including the repatriation of Indonesian artefacts held in the United States.

The leaders also commended the new U.S. Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation project that is helping Indonesian museums establish new documentation systems and improve emergency preparedness.