Post #28043

📄Article by Ambassador of Russia to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov titled "EAEU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement: A Solid Foundation for Mutually Beneficial Cooperation" published in Bisnis Indonesia(19.01.2026) Key points: • On December 21, 2025, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), its Member States, and the Republic of Indonesia was signed in Saint Petersburg. • This milestone event for all the parties reflected the sincere and natural commitment of political leaders, heads of government economic blocs, and the business community to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of accelerating economic growth and improving the welfare of the peoples of the EAEU countries and Indonesia. • The activities of the EAEU (Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan) are consistently based on the principles of mutual respect and due consideration of the interests of all Member States. • Work on concluding the FTA with Indonesia was launched in December 2022. Over the course of three years, the parties succeeded in developing a comprehensive and far-reaching agreement. It is expected that the removal of tariff and technical barriers, including the elimination of duties on 90.5% of Indonesian goods and 90% of product lines from Russia and other Union Member States, will provide an additional impetus to the expansion of mutual trade. • Against the backdrop of fragmentation of the international trading system, growing uncertainty and inconsistency in the economic policies of certain states, as well as “tariff aggression,” the development of cooperation between the EAEU Member States and Indonesia will be beneficial for all participants in the FTA, will help diversify foreign trade relations, and reduce vulnerability to global economic shocks. • For the Russian Federation, the conclusion of this FTA marked a strong culmination of 2025, a year commemorating the 75th anniversary of Russian-Indonesian diplomatic relations. Read in full