The government of Indonesia is proposing to fast-track negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union (EU) as preparations are complete, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
“The (scoping) paper was prepared during the trip from London to Brussels and was ready to be negotiated in the context of the CEPA,” Marsudi said on April 21 in Brussels, Belgium, as reported by Antara News.
According to the minister, the completion of the scoping paper is a strong indication of the openness between Indonesia and the EU.
“This marks a form of concrete economic cooperation,” she added. Marsudi explained that the scoping paper is a commitment, given by each party, to be negotiated upon.
“It has been many years but (the negotiation) has yet to be completed, so President Jokowi suggested that it should be sped up,” she said.
The government official said the current official visit of President Joko Widodo in Europe will be used to negotiate a number of trading schemes between Indonesia and the EU.
“Indonesia is ready to negotiate in the context of CEPA. This will send a strong signal from Indonesia to the international world regarding economic competitiveness, and Indonesia is open for that,” she stated.
Jokowi himself said he would like the immediate realization of the CEPA.
“I hope negotiation could start soon. Indonesia is ready for negotiations. CEPA would make the economy open wider and (be) more competitive,” Jokowi said in a joint statement with President of European Commission Jean Claude Juncker in Brussels, Belgium on April 21.
He said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, whom he met earlier, agreed to immediate negotiations on CEPA.
If it pushes through, the agreement will strengthen both the economies of Indonesia and the European Union, he said.
Photo: Francisco Anzola
