Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia has pushed back the deadline for its trade pact with the European Union (EU), with Jakarta eyeing to c♈omplete the negotiations in the first half of 2025.
Both sides have been negotiating the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) since 2016. Former President Joko Widodo wanted to finish the trade pact last year, although time has shown that they failed to come to a conclusion in 2024. As Indonesia welcomes a new year, the Trade Ministry has renewed the Indonesia-EU CEPA target, now aiming to conclude the talks no later than this June.
Trade Minister Budi Santoso told reporters that the two sides have already substantially concluded 85% of the pact but did not say what had been causing the delay, forcing the pact to undergo 19 rounds of talks and counting.
Bogor city hosted the most recent round of negotiations that would significantly ease trade barriers in mid-2024. A report from the meeting revealed that both sides had not come to an agreement on export and import restrictions. Their discussions on investment conditions also remained inconclusive.
Indonesia has set an export target of nearly 294.5 billion USD for 2025. The archipelagic country also wants its micro, small and medium businesses to contribute 19.3 billion USD to the overall export figures this year.
In 2023, Indonesia-EU trade amounted to 30.8 billion USD with Jakarta posting a 2.6 billion USD surplus, government data shows. Indonesia mainly exports palm oil to the EU.
Despite being a consumer of Indonesian palm oil, the European bloc has been critical of the country’s top commodity. It has even raised trade barriers by launching the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which mandates exporters to prove that their palm oil does not come from deforested land. The EUDR was supposed to enter into force late last month. Companies now have a year to comply with the rules with micro and small-scale enterprises having extra time until the end of June 2026./.
Brazil's government said in a statement on January 6 that Indonesia is formally joining BRICS as a full member, further expanding the group of major emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Indonesia’s Minister of Investment and Downstream Policy Rosan Roelani has announced that the country expects to receive 13.032 trillion IDR (805.73 billion USD) in investment during the 2025–2029 period.
Indonesia and Canada have signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking a milestone in strengthening economic relations between the two G20 countries.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
