ASEAN-EU partnership must be based on equality, says President Jokowi

Brussels, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) attended the 45th ASEAN-European Union (EU) Commemorative Summit held in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday. In his remarks at the summit, President Jokowi stressed that the partnership between ASEAN and the EU countries must be based on equality, and there should be no coercion.

“If we want to build a better partnership, that partnership must be based on equality and without coercion. There can no longer be parties, who always dictate and think that their standard is better than others,” he stated.

Jokowi said that the 45 years of ASEAN and the EU partnership has produced some good results.

However, he also acknowledged that not all partnerships can always be good, so some differences must be resolved to create something positive.

Hence, Jokowi urged member countries of the European Union to be able to partner in equality with ASEAN countries.

President Widodo had encouraged that the sound relations and economic cooperation between the two regional organizations and all countries in the two regions must continue to be strengthened and improved.

Earlier, he also stated that Indonesia has always encouraged closer cooperation between ASEAN and the EU that has been an important trading partner of the bloc.

“As we know, the trade value between ASEAN and the European Union in 2021 reached US$268.9 billion. The value is the third largest after China and the United States,” he remarked.

Apart from the trade relations, Jokowi also noted that the EU also plays an important role in foreign direct investment in the ASEAN region, with an investment value of up to US$26 billion in 2021, which is the second-largest investment after China.

Vice versa, the ASEAN is an increasingly important partner for the EU, given the region’s steady economic growth.

For decades, ASEAN has become an economic powerhouse that offers mutually beneficial cooperation since it has the productivity advantage from each country in the region.

“All projections say that Southeast Asia will remain a center of growth. Thus, the partnership with ASEAN will certainly be profitable,” President Jokowi pointed out.

In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the ASEAN region’s economy will remain stable, with growth reaching 4.3 percent, amid the possibility of a multidimensional crisis at the global level in 2023.

Such an estimation is also reflected in the theme that Indonesia will carry out during its chairmanship in ASEAN next year — “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” with three priority agendas: recovery-rebuilding, digital transformation, and sustainability.

Furthermore, based on a survey from the EU-ASEAN Business Council, some 63 percent of the respondents view ASEAN as the region with the best economic opportunities.

Meanwhile, 69 percent of the respondents expect the ASEAN market to become more important in terms of global revenue in the next two years.

Moreover, some 97 percent of respondents expressed hope that negotiation of the ASEAN-EU free trade agreement (FTA) will be accelerated and make good progress to be concluded.

Hence, regarding the ASEAN-EU long-standing relationship, the Indonesian president invites all countries in the two regions to build an equal and mutually beneficial partnership in order to recover from the pandemic and the multidimensional crisis that both are currently facing.

“We learned an important lesson … that to grow and to prosper together is the only option. We don’t only have to move forward together, but we also have to move forward equally. Let us have a better future together,” President Jokowi concluded.

In line with the Government of Indonesia, President of the European Council Charles Michel also stated that he would encourage closer cooperation between the two regions.

“The European Union is ready to cooperate or collaborate with ASEAN, especially in several sectors, such as connectivity, digital economy, climate change, and the handling of global food and financial crisis,” Michel stated at the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit.

Meanwhile, Minister Airlangga Hartarto, in his remarks at the business summit, stated that the digital economy, green energy, and MSMEs were potential sectors that could be further developed in the cooperation between ASEAN and EU countries.

“The (ASEAN-EU) relations that had run well must be utilized by continuing to maintain close collaboration between the two regions. Digital economy, green energy, and MSME are some potential sectors that can be developed,” he stated.

On the occasion, several representatives from ASEAN countries also expressed optimism that cooperation with the EU could be enhanced further.

The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) has also published the 2022 EU-ASEAN Business Sentiment Survey that records the optimism of European business actors on the trade and investment climate in the ASEAN region.

During his working visit to Brussels, President Jokowi also conducted several bilateral meetings with some EU countries’ leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Jokowi held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala. At the meeting, President Widodo expressed his gratitude for PM Fiala’s sympathy for the victims of the recent earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, and congratulated the Czech Republic on its presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) this year.

Jokowi also held a meeting with the King of Belgium Philippe Leopold Loui Marie at Laeken Palace, Brussels.

During his visit to Belgium, President Jokowi was accompanied by several ministers and senior officials, comprising Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, and Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita.