Brussels, 02/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - The partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) between the EU and Indonesia, which entered into force on Wednesday 1 May, replaces the EU-ASEAN cooperation agreement from 1980 in the management of bilateral relations. This is the first PCA between the EU and a country of the ASEAN bloc.
Politically, the EU-Indonesia PCA confirms and deepens the shared commitment of the two sides to respect democratic principles and human rights, tackle the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and combat terrorism.
In the sectoral cooperation field, the agreement will give more scope to cooperation in a wide range of areas, such as migration, legal cooperation, customs cooperation, education, culture, energy, climate change, transport and tourism, as well as the fight against corruption and organised crime.
“Indonesia is a key partner in a region of strategic importance for the EU and an increasingly important player on the global scene. We look forward to implementing the PCA together with our Indonesian partners in order to forge a more mature and broad-based relationship”, commented High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton.
Indonesia is the first ASEAN partner to have signed a partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU, which is negotiating similar agreements with Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Malaysia. (EH)