Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga has expressed his hope that negotiations of the Indonesia - European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) would be completed this year.

In a statement on April 19, Sambuaga said that cooperation between Indonesia and the EU can continue to be expanded if the two sides build a relationship of equality and mutual understanding.

According to him, through the IEU-CEPA, some trade disagreements, particularly regarding palm oil and nickel, are expected to be resolved amicably.

According to official statistics, Indonesia's trade surplus hit a record high of 54.5 billion USD last year, supported by strong export activities, including shipments to the EU. However, the Indonesia-EU trade has yet to reach the expected level./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency