Indonesia-EU relations: Close Partners or Distant Associates?

Indonesia’s relationship with the European Union (EU) is not always in a good shape despite diplomatic rhetoric from both sides that they share common values and close cooperation. How close is this bilateral relationship compared to EU’s relations with other ASEAN member states? Given the fact that Indonesia is Southeast Asian biggest economy and largest market with 260 million population, the country came only the sixth in line on EU’s bilateral FTA agenda, after negotiations were launched with Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. This gave the perception to some Indonesians that Indonesia is not a top priority for the EU when dealing with Southeast Asia. Similarly, Indonesia has perceived the EU as a distant partner. This essay explains the problems that complicate Indonesia-EU relations and put forward some perspectives on future relations of the two parties.