JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (pix) on Tuesday left for Belgium to attend the ASEAN-European Union (EU) Commemorative Summit.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is also ASEAN Chair 2022, and European Council president Charles Michel will co-chair the summit in Brussels.
Joko Widodo emphasised that good relations between ASEAN and the EU are important to trade and investment in the future.
He said the EU is ASEAN’s third largest trading partner after China and the United States, with total trade amounting to US$268.9 billion (US$1=RM4.42) in 2021.
In 2021, the EU was the second largest provider of foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN after China, with US$26 billion FDI inflows from the EU.
“Certainly, Indonesia wants to see an increase in trade with the EU, and the EU will raise further investment in Indonesia,” Joko Widodo spoke at the airport before his departure.
He is accompanied by his wife Iriana and cabinet ministers, including Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita.
At the summit, ASEAN and the EU will celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations based on shared values and principles, including a rules-based international order, and free and fair trade.-Bernama