Message from the EuroCham Chairman

This month marks the first anniversary of EuroCham, the European Business Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. Funded by a number of major European companies, the national European Business Associations in Indonesia and including Indonesian partners with links to Europe, Eurocham gives some 1000 European companies operating in Indonesia a distinctly European voice.

Over the last five years Indonesia's two-way trade with the EU held steady at a solid 14 billion euros, making the EU the second most important export market for Indonesia. However there is a lot to be done to consolidate these relations and EuroCham believes that Indonesia has the potential to become much more than a resource base for its major trading partners to bring on the added value to tackle global markets.

European companies are eager to invest in Indonesia; to bring in capital, technology and expertise and make the best use of Indonesia's unique advantages on account of its large internal market and its strategic position. Indonesia can exploit fully the opportunities of the wide open market of the enlarged European Union, which will soon comprise 500 million customers.

European business has been a long-standing and loyal partner in Indonesia's development and EuroCham is pleased to announce that it will organize a European Infrastructure Forum on 12 May in Jakarta that will contribute to increase European investors' presence in the country.

Jean-Frangois Fichaux