REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice Chairman for Trade and International Relations in Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Chris Kanter said that Europian Union (EU)-Indonesia Business Dialogue (EIBD) was an important forum for enterpreneurs for investment and capacity building.
He explained that relationship between Indonesia and EU actually had existed since hundreds of years ago. However, it is not like other bilateral relationships. Indonesia and EU have complementary interest.
"We need investment from EU and EU needs emerging markets. Both are the perfect partner," Kanter said recently.
European companies are not multinational companies and many Indonesian people do not know about this. These companies only knew countries, such as China and United States. With EIBD, Kanter expected that these companies eager to invest and doing business in Indonesia.
Business forum will transform and strengthen the power of Indonesian products and brands. Moreover, value of trade between Indonesia and EU ever reached the highest figure worth 33 billion USD in 2011. Kanter said that Indonesia has to strengthen furniture products and crude palm oil (CPO) which have huge market.
"EU and Indonesia business is complementary. There is no direct competition, like when we are competing with China," Kanter said.