The acceleration of the IEU CEPA negotiation process requires support from all parties, especially associations and the business world, Hartarto said regarding his meeting with Vice President of the Federation of European Sporting Goods (FESI) Manuel Pauser.
"IEU CEPA is key for encouraging trade, investment cooperation, and other economic cooperation between Indonesia and European Union," he informed in an official statement released on Wednesday.
"Indonesia expressed its gratitude over FESI's support to be able to promptly complete the negotiation," he said regarding his meeting with Pauser on the sidelines of the ‘10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit’ in Brussels on Tuesday (December 13, 2022).
The negotiation process has taken longer than originally planned: it was expected to be completed in four rounds or before 2024.
"Indonesia expects that the support from entrepreneurs in the European Union so that the negotiation process can be completed quickly," Hartarto said.
Meanwhile, FESI vice president Manuel Pauser lauded the Indonesian government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indonesian government has done a remarkable job in sustaining the economic wheel despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Factories owned by businesspersons in the sporting goods sector have been able to continue to operate and maintain their supply, he added.
FESI also lauded Indonesia's efforts at structural reformation, such as the issuance of the Job Creation Law, which will reform various sectors, including business license management.
According to FESI, the global economic challenges that entrepreneurs are currently facing are not expected to last long and the global economy is forecast to recover.
FESI also congratulated the agreement on energy transition cooperation with G7 countries and partner countries within the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) unveiled on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali in November 2022.
The issue of sustainability is important for the industry, including the sporting goods sector. Thus, FESI is encouraging the achievement of targets related to sustainability, Pauser said.
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Translator: Sanya Dinda S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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