Speaking in Jakarta on Monday, he noted that the deadline for the completion of the agreement has been pushed back as Indonesia and the European Union are not yet on the same page regarding several matters.
"It is necessary for us to aim for a mutually beneficial conclusion. Therefore, we are still studying it (the agreement) in the hopes of finding the solution as soon as possible," he said.
Santoso then emphasized that he is against pushing the two parties to rush through the negotiation process.
"It is indeed not easy (to reach a consensus)," he stressed while implying the need to ensure that Indonesia is not at the receiving end of a detrimental deal.
Earlier, director general of international trade negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, informed that the IEU-CEPA negotiation has stalled due to policy disagreements.
"We are still striving to identify a mutually agreeable middle ground on several policy matters," he said.
Witjaksono also described the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as a major stumbling block that has prevented the two negotiating parties from finalizing the long-awaited economic deal.
He said that the Indonesian government has been lobbying the EU to allow several agricultural commodities from Indonesia to enter European markets, thereby overriding the EUDR.
However, the official highlighted that Indonesia and the EU have concurred on a number of issues, such as gradual tariff reduction, trade facilitation, investment, and transparency.
"We have also agreed on technical matters. However, we still have to address some policy-related issues," he informed.
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Translator: Maria C, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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