EU wants to sign a special agreement with RI to boost ties
EU wants to sign a special agreement with RI to boost ties
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In an effort to assume greater international responsibility
commensurate with its size, economic clout and standing in the
world, the European Union (EU) is looking for partners to
accomplish the task.
With a population of 220 million, newly acquired democratic
credentials and abundant natural resources, Indonesia certainly
fits the criteria to become an important partner of the EU in
this part of the world.
That is why, the EU is currently attempting to revitalize its
existing ties with Indonesia and to forge a new partnership
through a special comprehensive agreement, the new head of the
delegation of the European Commission (EC) to Indonesia said in
Jakarta.
The EC is the executive arm of the 25-member EU, the world's
richest regional grouping which has a combined gross domestic
product (GDP) of 10 trillion euros (around US$13 trillion). .
"There is a strong will in Europe to develop links between
Europe and Indonesia. We want to strengthen our existing
relationship. This is particularly because Indonesia is an
important country, which is not only big in size but also a
democratic country. We want to have a special agreement like the
one we have with the other countries in the world," Ambassador
Jean Breteche, who submitted his credentials to President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono on March 16, 2005, told The Jakarta Post in an
interview recently at his office.
Last month, both Indonesia and the EU agreed that the
negotiations regarding the special agreement must be completed
before June this year.
While explaining the details of the planned agreement,
Breteche said it would be like the EU's agreement with
Mediterranean countries under the "Barcelona Process".
"It will be an open agreement. It covers everything. There
will be a provision for political dialog, clauses on good
governance, economic cooperation, economic exchange and human
rights and so on. It will be similar to our agreement with the
Mediterranean states," Breteche, a French national, said.
The Barcelona Process was launched in November 1995 by the EU-
Mediterranean foreign ministers under the name Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership. The initiative, which is unique and ambitious,
represents a broad framework of political, economic and social
cultural relations between the 25 EU member states and 10
Mediterranean countries -- Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and
Turkey.
Under the Barcelona Process -- which has three main
objectives: political and security dialog, establishment of a
free-trade area and the rapprochement between peoples through a
social, cultural and human partnership -- the EU signs an
association agreement with individual Mediterranean countries.
"We will also have a similar agreement -- including an
association agreement with Indonesia, -- which will ultimately
lead to the establishment of a free-trade area. It is a very open
agreement. We want to negotiate this agreement with Indonesia
before June," Breteche, who is also a non-resident ambassador to
Brunei Darussalam and East Timor said.
Moreover, both the EU and Indonesia, according to Breteche,
want to upgrade the existing relations.
"We have very good financial and political relations with
Indonesia. We don't have any problems with Indonesia. But we want
to strengthen them. We came here to help you. We are partners not
donors or lenders," Breteche said.
EU is Indonesia's second largest trading partner after Japan.
Bilateral trade was about 14 billion euros (around US$18 billion)
in 2003.
"On an average, Indonesia is exporting around $10 billion (in
goods) to us and we are exporting around $4 billion to Indonesia.
It means you have a surplus of $6 billion," Breteche said.
For Indonesia, the EU is one of the major sources of foreign
direct investment (FDI) with countries like Britain, Germany,
France, Poland, Italy and the Netherlands accounting for a larger
proportion.
"We want to invest more in Indonesia. The reason is the EU is
very much impressed by Susilo's program on good governance, rule
of law, the fight against corruption. We want to help and support
him to implement his program," Breteche said.
"Ever since the election of Susilo, more FDI has come into the
country.
"It means more jobs. At the end people will benefit," Breteche
said.
The EU is also Indonesia's biggest donor. It offered 1.5
billion euros (US$2 billion) in grants and loans to Indonesia to
deal with the tsunami tragedy.
"We want to participate actively in the reconstruction of
Aceh. We will work with the Indonesian government in this
matter," he said, while adding that the tsunami funds must be
spent transparently and there should be accountability in the
spending.