"The negotiations between Freeport and the Indonesian government will take place soon, and we hope an agreement can be reached that will benefit both parties," Blake stated in reply to a question posed by an Antara contributor about the divestment of PT Freeport Indonesia shares while visiting the Dosay health center here on Tuesday.
Blake said he was proud of Freeports contribution to Indonesia.
"We are proud of Freeports contribution to the economy of the people in Papua in particular and Indonesia in general. The negotiations between Freeport and the Indonesian government will take place soon, and we hope there will be an agreement that will benefit the two parties," he remarked.
In this way, Freeport will continue operating and providing jobs for the people in Papua and Indonesia, the ambassador added.
Blake noted that he will visit Freeport tomorrow and was keen to see its operations and corporate social responsibility activities.
"We have a lot of interests here. Besides health programs, we also help people in forest management, education, and sea protection," he stated when questioned about things that have attracted him to visit Papua.
According to Blake, Papua has its own superiority as compared to other regions in Indonesia.
"Papua is blessed with rich marine biodiversity," he pointed out.
Blake said that during his visit to Papua, he will also explore other possibilities for the US companies to invest in the region.
Ambassador Robert remarked that he also had plans to meet with regional government leaders as well as regional community leaders, such as religious and non-governmental organization leaders during his visit to Papua.
According to a press release issued by the US Embassy and received by Antara in Jayapura, the US ambassador will be in Papua from June 8 to 13.
According to the release, the US ambassador is scheduled to meet with several government officials, community figures, and alumni of the US-Indonesia exchange program and observe programs relating to HIV/AIDS education, marine biodiversity, and health service improvement programs funded by the US.
Reporting by Alfian Rumagit
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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