REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- European Union (EU) wants to deepen its partnership with Indonesia with a formal regulated platform such as a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).

"I think we are in a good spot right now to deepen the partnership and the relationship between Indonesia and the EU," the European Union (EU) Ambassador-designate to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and the ASEAN, Olof Skoog, said here on Tuesday.

He said the economic partnership between Indonesia and the EU should be deepened with a formal regulated platform to protect people both in Indonesia and in Europe.

Even though there will be a new government in Indonesia, Olof believed that the EU and Indonesia already knew and had identified the areas where Indonesia and the EU can work more closely together.

According to Olof, trade and investment were two of the areas in which Indonesia and the EU can work more closely together, in addition to political and many others sectors.

"A comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) will help enhance trade between the EU and Indonesia. But the fact is, we do not have a formal regulated platform and I think it is a problem," he added.

Furthermore, Olof said the EU hopes that Indonesia and the EU can start to look for ways and negotiate a formal regulated platform, since it will cover improvements in market access and the facilitation of trade and investment.

Based on the data from the Habibie Center, the EU is Indonesia's fourth-largest trade partner and the second-largest investor. In 2013, total trade between Indonesia and the EU was 32-33 billion US dollar.

There are also indications that the bilateral relations can and should be further enhanced, especially though more people to people interaction to underpin the government to government and business to business level links.

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