On this occasion, Moeldoko encouraged the completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) negotiations that had been ongoing for eight years as well as downstream policies in Indonesia.
"We hope that the IEU-CEPA negotiations can find common ground soon and accommodate mutual interests. Indonesia is fully committed to this agreement," he noted in a statement issued by his office on Wednesday.
According to Moeldoko, the EU is Indonesia's strategic partner in various sectors, especially in the economic sector, where the EU is the fifth main export destination for Indonesian products, with a value reaching US$21.5 billion.
In addition, he noted that the Indonesian government is pushing for a Trade Sustainable Development agreement focusing on implementing environmental and sustainability principles to help sustainable products becoming more competitive.
This goal is implemented by the government through various efforts to realize standardization and certification that can be recognized by the EU, including improvements to the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) Certification and the Timber Legal Verification System (SLVK) for wood products.
"Through IEU-CEPA, Indonesia's certification can be recognized by the EU," Moeldoko explained.
Regarding the downstream policy in Indonesia, he expressed hope that the policy would not hinder the IEU-CEPA completion process since the Indonesian government has carried out downstreaming practices, such as for nickel products.
Moeldoko stated that currently, there are around 40 nickel smelters that produce ferronickel and nickel pig iron, including electric car battery factories and electric car factories in Indonesia.
"We also invite the European Union to invest in building a processing factory in here," he added.
Meanwhile, EU Chief of Negotiator Fabien Gehl stated that his side was also committed to completing the IEU-CEPA negotiations.
Gehl targeted that within the next six to eight months, there will be an agreement that is expected to provide added value for both parties.
"Specifically, we want to intensify communication to produce conclusions," he remarked.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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