REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Free trade agreement with ASEAN was one of EU priorities towards the integration of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, EU Ambassador to Indonesia and ASEAN Julian Wilson said at EU-ASEAN Economic Policy Forum in Jakarta on Friday.
"Trade and investment between ASEAN and EU will benefit both communities," he said on Friday.
The ASEAN is EU's third largest trading partner after US and China with the total trade (in goods and service) worth 180 billion euro in 2012. EU is also second major partner after China to ASEAN which contibutes 11 percent of ASEAN trading value worlwide.
Head of Economic and Trade Delegation to EU, Harvey Rouse, said that they had reached an agreement with Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand, while Indonesia was still considering it. He hopes that EU can reach a free trade agreement with whole Southeast Asia countries.