Indonesia News
1 May 2026
Indonesia Backs EU-ASEAN Trade Pact Plan, No Timeline Yet
Bandar Seri Begawan. Indonesia backs ASEAN’s plan to reach a trade agreement with the European Union (EU), although the groups have not decided when they should start the formal negotiations.Indonesian Travel Guides
Brunei Darussalam hosted the ASEAN-EU ministerial talks on Tuesday, where the economic powerhouses reaffirmed their commitment to strike a bloc-to-bloc free trade agreement (FTA) in the future.
Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir confirmed that such a plan was in the pipeline. If followed through, it could be a win-win as the world grapples with tariff hikes.
“[A region-to-region deal] will expand market access for ASEAN and EU businesses. It’s going to be very strategic. Today, we see many countries wanting to close their own market,” Arrmanatha said in a post-meeting media interview.
“Our cooperation must not be merely symbolic. It should be something that ASEAN and EU people can feel. An example is the FTA.”
Some individual ASEAN economies have been trying to seal a tariff-slashing deal with the EU over the past decade to expand market access.
Singapore and Vietnam were the first to successfully do so. Indonesia’s treaty with the EU is nearing the finish line. However, it remains subject to “legal scrubbing”. This process of making sure the text is legally sound is set to finish next month before the ratification process in the second half, according to the Foreign Ministry. The zero-tariff treatment for Europe-bound Indonesian goods will go live in January.
Negotiations with Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia remain a work in progress.
“The intent to create an FTA goes back a very long time, but ASEAN did not have a trade agreement with the EU back then. Now that we have some treaties in place and a few more to come,” Arrmanatha said.
The diplomat went on to say that the finished agreements could provide impetus to the upcoming accord, citing the similarities between the ASEAN members with an EU accord and those who don’t.
Arrmanatha added: “So it should be easier for Cambodia and Laos to have a [region-to-region] accord without having to go through individual pacts.”
A 63-point joint statement published after the ministerial talks wrote that the two clubs would advance towards an FTA “in the longer term”.
The European grouping's top diplomat Kaja Kallas also told reporters that “the EU is and will remain a reliable and predictable partner” to ASEAN.
ASEAN-EU two-way merchandise trade hit around $320 billion in 2025, the Southeast Asian group’s data showed. The EU has pumped $19.9 billion into ASEAN, making it the former’s third top external source of foreign direct investment.
For Indonesia alone, the EU’s export-import activities to Southeast Asia’s biggest economy totaled $4.4 billion in 2024.
Government estimates show that the figure can more than double once the Indonesia-EU deal enters into force.
Credit News: www.jakartaglobe.id/business/
Thailand News
1 May 2026
Thailand and Singapore discuss broader ties and Land Bridge project
Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the Thai Khu Fah Building, Government House, on Monday (April 27, 2026).
After the meeting, Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek summarised the key points of the talks as follows.
Anutin welcomed Chan and said he was very pleased to meet the Minister for Defence that day.
The two sides had known each other for a long time and had met on many occasions.
On this occasion, Anutin thanked Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for congratulating him by telephone on assuming office, and said they had also discussed ways to upgrade cooperation between Thailand and Singapore at both bilateral and regional levels.
The two sides still had considerable potential to develop cooperation further.
Singapore’s Minister for Defence thanked Anutin for the warm welcome and expressed condolences to the Thai people on the loss of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.
He also conveyed good wishes from Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to Anutin.
The Singapore side said it very much hoped to welcome Anutin on another official visit to Singapore at a convenient and suitable time.
On this occasion, the two sides discussed key issues in relations and cooperation as follows:
Defence: Both sides welcomed the long-standing foundation of close defence ties between Thailand and Singapore, reflected in regular exchanges of high-level visits and annual joint exercises, including Exercise Cobra Gold. Anutin confirmed the continuity of joint exercises and Thailand’s support in providing training areas for the Singapore Armed Forces.
Singapore thanked Thailand for its continued support in enabling the Singapore Armed Forces to train in Thailand, which it said played an important role in strengthening Singapore’s defence capabilities. It also saw further potential for the two sides to advance cooperation in new projects and missions, and to turn crises or challenges into opportunities to strengthen trust and deepen relations.
Energy: The two sides exchanged approaches to domestic energy management and agreed on opportunities to expand energy cooperation, including fuel management, energy trade and regional electricity grid connectivity, to increase efficiency in resource use and reduce energy losses. They also set out approaches to make greater use of renewable and alternative energy to promote regional energy security.
Aviation industry: The two sides agreed on opportunities to expand cooperation in the aviation industry and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Singapore has technological readiness and standards, while Thailand has potential in areas with geographical advantages and manpower, which could complement each other in developing a regional MRO centre and be extended to the maintenance of ships and military equipment. The two sides also saw opportunities for joint investment and the development of cooperation models between the public and private sectors to support growth in the aviation industry and rising demand for services.
Food security: The two sides saw opportunities to expand cooperation on food security. Thailand has strong potential as a food production source, which could help balance countries with energy resources but food shortages, as well as strengthen regional cooperation and security in the long term.
Land Bridge project: Singapore expressed interest in Thailand’s Land Bridge project, viewing it as a transport link between two seaboards to reduce risks and increase Thailand’s logistics potential. It also saw the project as an opportunity to develop various industries, which could lead to the creation of a new economy, support security and strengthen regional potential. Anutin said he was ready to support Singapore and emphasised that the project required large-scale investment and cooperation from many sectors, including the public and private sectors, as well as international partners, so that it could be implemented efficiently and sustainably.
Credit News: www.nationthailand.com/news/politics/