The 7th Political Dialogue under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Indonesia took place on 29 September 2023 in Brussels.

The Dialogue covered a wide range of issues including EU-Indonesia and EU-ASEAN relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern, multilateral cooperation, global foreign policy developments and Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship.

The EU congratulated Indonesia on its successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. Both appreciated the deepening of the EU-ASEAN relationship since the elevation of relations to a Strategic Partnership and looked forward to the 2024 Chairmanship of the Lao PDR.

The EU and Indonesia underlined the importance of cooperation as equal partners and looked forward to advancing their mutually beneficial partnership. The EU expressed its full support to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of the Republic of Indonesia, as one of the principles underpinned by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

The EU and Indonesia also exchanged views on major foreign policy issues and security developments, where they agreed on the need to find peaceful and inclusive solutions to conflicts while calling for respect for the principles of international law and compliance with the UN Charter in all cases.

In Afghanistan, the EU and Indonesia placed priority on achieving enduring peace that upholds democratic values and respect for human rights, and that contributes to security in the region. Indonesia shared its view that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process that serves the interests of all Afghan people is crucial for an inclusive government. On this note, Indonesia considered that confidence-building measures are needed to bridge the trust gap, shared its experience in leveraging the roles of Ulemas and encouraged the international community to scale up assistance for the Afghan people to improve their socio-economic conditions. They both underlined their commitment to address the challenges to Afghan women's rights, welcomed initiatives such as the International Conference on Afghan Women's Education (ICAWE) in Bali in 2022, and agreed to participate in the ICAWE II in Doha, Qatar, in 2023.

The EU and Indonesia expressed concern over the developments in the Middle East region and called for concrete actions to secure a comprehensive, equitable, and lasting peace in the Middle East. They called upon the international community to remain resolute in their commitment to safeguarding international efforts that align with the principles of the two-state solution and towards a comprehensive, just, and enduring peace in the Middle East region. They urged both sides to actively take positive steps towards the resumption of negotiations to achieve an enduring peace, and called for sustained financial support to the Palestinian Authority and Palestine refugees.

On Myanmar, the EU supported Indonesia’s efforts to engage the broadest possible spectrum of stakeholders in order to work towards ensuring full implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. The EU welcomed the outcomes of the 43^rd ASEAN Summit in this regard.

The EU and Indonesia agreed that today’s era must not be of war. The EU and Indonesia deplored the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter. They renewed their call for a withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The EU and Indonesia agreed to continue to work together closely and stand up for the international rules-based order, the principles of sovereignty and non-aggression as well as for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine consistent with the UN Charter.

Emphasizing the importance of sustaining food and energy security as well as to address the exacerbating existing socio-economic fragilities, the EU and Indonesia share a deep concern over the implications of the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) for vulnerable populations worldwide. They welcome all constructive efforts to reinstate the BSGI to ensure the unimpeded deliveries of grain, food stock, and fertilizers.

The EU and Indonesia looked forward to the conclusion of the ASEAN-led negotiations to agree on an effective, substantive, and actionable Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. They emphasised that the Code of Conduct should be consistent with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The EU and Indonesia discussed the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The EU and Indonesia reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, including UNCLOS, which is of universal character and sets out the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas. In this regard the EU welcomed the exclusive economic zone agreement between Indonesia and Vietnam, announced in December 2022, as an example to others in delimiting maritime boundaries in accordance with UNCLOS.

The EU delegation was headed by Mr Enrique Mora, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, and the Indonesian delegation by Ambassador Umar Hadi, Director-General for American and European Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.