Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto held an online meeting with Andrey Slepnev, Member of the Board and Minister in Charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), on July 9, 2025.

The meeting continued discussions on the Indonesia–Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (I-EAEU FTA) and aimed to strengthen economic ties between Indonesia and the EAEU member states.

This followed previous bilateral meetings held on May 29, 2025, in Jakarta, and on June 20, 2025, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), where a Joint Statement was signed marking the substantial conclusion of FTA negotiations.

Both ministers expressed appreciation for their respective negotiating teams' achievements and reaffirmed their strong commitment to initiating the required domestic legal processes.

“We welcome the outcomes achieved by the negotiating teams. This marks a major step toward finalizing the I-EAEU FTA,” said Minister Airlangga.

Legal Process Targeted for Completion Before December 2025

Minister Slepnev expressed a similar view and confirmed the EAEU's internal readiness to proceed with the joint legal process among member countries.

“Our team is prepared to move forward in accordance with the agreed schedule,” said Minister Slepnev.

Both sides are aiming to complete the legal scrubbing process promptly to enable the official signing of the agreement by December 2025.

Indonesia–EAEU Trade and Investment Continue to Grow

Amid rising global protectionism, Indonesia–EAEU trade relations have shown positive momentum. In the first quarter of 2025, total trade between the two increased by 84.40%, reaching USD 1.57 billion.

From the investment perspective, EAEU’s investment in Indonesia reached USD 273.7 million, more than double the total investment realized in 2023.

FTA Seen as Strategic Pillar for Economic Diversification

With a combined population of over 460 million, the EAEU offers expanded market access through the I-EAEU FTA.

Minister Airlangga believes the agreement is a key pillar in Indonesia’s strategy to diversify markets and strengthen national economic resilience.

Also present in the meeting were Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso, Deputy for Economic Cooperation and Investment Edi Prio Pambudi, Director General of International Trade Negotiations Djatmiko Bris Wicaksono, and Ministry of Trade Expert Staff for International Relations and Chief Negotiator of the Indonesia–EU CEPA Johni Martha.

PHOTO: KEMENKO PEREKONOMIAN

This article was created with AI assistance.