This is an excellent start and it is important to maintain the positive momentum of the talksJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has just concluded the first round of negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) for a free-trade agreement as part of an effort to increase exports to non-traditional markets in the Eurasian region.
The first negotiation round was held from April 3–5, 2023, in Jakarta.
"With a total population of 183 million people and a GDP (gross domestic product) value of US$2.04 trillion, EAEU can become a hub for Indonesian products in Central Asia and Eastern Europe," the Director of Bilateral Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Johni Martha said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
Therefore, the negotiations on the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free-Trade Agreement (IEAEU-FTA) will play an important role in paving the way and opening wider opportunities for trade between Indonesian businesses and the EAEU, he added.
The Indonesian delegation in the talk was led by Johni Martha, while the EAEU delegation was led by the Head of Division for Special Issues in the Trade Regulation, Trade Policy Department, Anton Tsetsinovskiy.
The IEAEU-FTA talks were launched by Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev on December 5, 2022.
The launch of the talks was marked by the online signing of the “Joint Ministerial Statement on the Launch of the Negotiation on Free-Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Republic of Indonesia.”
Eleven working groups are participating in the negotiations, which will discuss a range of focuses from the trade of goods, digital trade, legal provisions and institutional issues, trade safeguards, terms of origin of goods, customs procedures and trade facilitation, technical issues in trade, cooperation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and intellectual property rights.
In the first round, negotiators from the two countries exchanged views on national policies and came together to understand each country's position on negotiations in general.
"After three days, the EAEU delegation and I agreed that the negotiations proceeded productively. This is an excellent start and it is important to maintain the positive momentum of the talks," Martha said.
He said he is optimistic that the negotiations will be completed by 2024.
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Translator: Maria C, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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