REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BERLIN - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) during his visit to Berlin stated that he supported comprehensive economic partnership between European Union (EU) and ASEAN. He said that in Asian perspective towards free trade area (FTA), that trade and investment were on full package. 

"We have ongoing negotiation. I hope this becomes a part of trade recovery and global growth with strong, balance, inclusive and sustainable," he said.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said that the FTA agreement between EU and Indonesia was important. "EU needs the network and I support it," she said after bilateral meeting with SBY on Tuesday evening.

Merkel said it was not easy to have a deal with all members of ASEAN. It can be achieved by starting an agreement between Indonesia and EU. "We need standards to create comprehensive economic agreement. We love to have the agreement with ASEAN, but we, at first, want to focus to Indonesia," she said and added that EU also engaged with similar agreements with Colombia before Latin America.

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