Brussels, 22/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - This week, the General Affairs Council adopted "conclusions" by which it is in favour of closer relations with Indonesia. Recognising that the elections that took Abdurrahman Wahid to the country's presidency had led to a historic change in Indonesia, the foreign ministers consider that "it is time for the European Union to forge a new and closer relationship with the new Indonesian Government so as to support its efforts to strengthen the country's democracy, ensure respect for human rights, reform its military and judicial system, enhance the rule of law and good governance, restore the vitality of its economy and solve its internal conflicts through dialogue rather than the use of force".
The Council thus backs the strategy proposed by the European Commission in its communication of last February, based on a strengthening of the political dialogue and economic and trade relations and concentration on aid to development (see EUROPE of 2 February, p.8). Thus, ministers: i) politically: invite "Indonesia to engage in a regular political dialogue with the Union, at ministerial level". The dialogue should include "the respect of human rights, the promotion of the rule of law and good governance, as well as cooperation with Indonesia to promote regional stability"; ii) regarding cooperation: invites the "Commission to develop assistance programmes that would help to anchor Indonesian democracy, as well as enhance the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights". Here, they note the Commission's will to provide technical assistance in the matter; iii) in the social field: "urge the Commission" to address the issue of poverty relief in Indonesia, notably in minority regions and regions of movements of refugees, in the Moluccas and West Timor, as well as to identify needs in terms of social programmes; iv) regarding the economy: they urge the Commission to study "the application of the Generalised System of Preferences graduation mechanism".
The Commission noted in its communication that Indonesia had been excluded from GSP for certain products assumed competitive on the basis of data from before the Asian economic crisis. Ministers also encourage the Commission to develop EU/Indonesia economic dialogue through meetings between senior officials. They recall the commitments taken in terms of market access during the ASEM summit in London; v) concerning environmental measures, proposed by the Commission, the ministers invite the European executive and the Member States to strengthen cooperation on the management of natural resources and mainly of forests (10% of the world's tropical forests are in Indonesia).