"I hope we can further promote better cooperation," the president stated while receiving US Senator McCain at the Presidential Office here on Tuesday.
At the start of their meeting, President Yudhoyono welcomed him for the second time after the two figures had previously met during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Jakarta several years ago.
President Yudhoyono noted that in the past meeting with the US senator several years ago, he discussed efforts to reinforce bilateral relations with the United States and regional as well as international issues.
Now, according to the President, security in the world is being disturbed by several conflicts such as those in Syria, Libya, Palestine, and Ukraine.
Yudhoyono also expressed gratitude for the strong cooperation between the two nations in fields such as the trade, maritime, and marine sectors.
Earlier, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sharif Cicip Sutardjo remarked that the US government supported the development of the marine and fisheries sectors in Indonesia.
"The United States supported the development of the marine and fisheries sector in Indonesia, among others, through the Indonesian Marine and Climate Support (IMACS) and the Marine Protected Areas Governance (MPAG) projects," the minister asserted.
Minister Sutardjo made the statement while receiving US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island in Jakarta on Sunday.
According to Sharif, the significant results of the IMACS project included reinforcement of sustainable fishery management and capacity-building in reducing illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
The minister explained that the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries had an opportunity in 2013 to participate in the fishery management training held at the Rhode Island University of the United States financed by the IMACS.
"The training has strengthened the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs in assessing and formulating fishery management plans. The programs important achievement is the launch of Regional Fishery Management Plan of Fishery Management 718 in February 2014," he added.
(A014/INE/o001)
EDITED BY INE
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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