Indonesia, EU launch first talks under new partnership agreement
Jakarta Post | 29 November 2016
Indonesia, EU launch first talks under new partnership agreement
by Tama Salim
Indonesia and the European Union (EU) launched Monday the first joint committee meeting under the Indonesia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which first entered into force in 2014.
Both parties expect to use the new consultation framework as a platform for various cooperation initiatives that might contribute to global peace and prosperity, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said.
“The world [is facing] so many challenges and uncertainties. [On account of] this challenging situation, we need friends, as many as possible, that can be our partners,” she told a press conference at the European Action Service (EAS) building in Brussels, Belgium.
The Monday forum, kicked off by Retno and her counterpart, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini, aims to reflect both economies’ high commitment in strengthening bilateral ties, which have intensified in recent months.
“We see Indonesia as an essential partner, not only for bilateral issues but also for building a more cooperative global and regional order,” Mogherini told the press conference.
In April, Retno and Mogherini convened the first Indonesia-EU foreign ministers strategic dialogue in Jakarta, followed by an official visit by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to EU institutions in Brussels.
Both partners also progressed in negotiations on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the initial scoping paper ready and the first round of negotiations concluded in September.
The second round will commence in January.
