Following a meeting with General Feisal Tanjung, commander in chief of the armed forces, US Secretary for Defence William said that the IMET programme would be continued. He promised General Tanjung that he would immediately press Congress for the programme to be restored.

In October 1992 (?), the Indonesian government decided to stoptaking part in the programme as the US was linking it with human rights issues.

Cohen said the programme would strengthen the ties between the armed forces of the two countries and the two governments.

Feisal Tanjung said he would be very happy if the programme were continued because most Indonesian officers have had training under IMET. The programme is very important to ABRI. It helps to create close personal ties between young Indonesian officers and the US armed forces, facilitating coordination. 'I am certain that the Pentagon will support the move to restore IMET for Indonesia,' said Tanjung.

Cohen also told the ABRI commander that the US is closely following events in Southeast Asia and hopes that stability will be preserved throughout the region. He said that the presence of US troops is an important part in the efforts to preserve stability. This would involve reinforcing political ties and holding joint exercises. He said that if the US were to turn its back on the region, inter-state rivalries could erupt, such as conflicts over the Spratly Islands, with very harmful consequences.

Cohen, who was accompnaied by ten staff officers from the US and from the US embassy in Jakarta, later paid a visit to the headquarters of the red-beret special forces, Kopassus in Cijantung.