On July 1, Portugal took over the rotating European Union (EU) presidency from Germany. On Thursday, Portugal's Ambassador to Indonesia Jose Manuel Santos Braga gave an exclusive interview to The Jakarta Post's Veeramalla Anjaiah to explain the country's primary objectives during its EU presidency and other issues related to EU-Indonesia ties. The following are excerpts of the interview:
Question: What are Portugal's main objectives and priorities during its EU presidency?
Answer: Portugal has just taken over the six-month European Union (EU) presidency. It is the third time Portugal is playing this role in an organization that currently encompasses 27 member states and around 500 million people.
The fact that the EU is a success story does not affect our commitment to seeking ways to improve its functioning. Reform of European treaties in order, among other purposes, to give a new impulse to the so-called ""Lisbon Strategy"" (aimed at making the EU more competitive) and to achieve a more efficient external action is the major internal priority.
In as far as external relations are concerned, foreseen summits with Africa, Brazil, China, India, Russia and the Ukraine as well as relations with the U.S., Mediterranean countries and other privileged partners will play a key role in this six-month period.
During its presidency, Germany pushed hard for the signing of an EU treaty on the constitution. It seems there are still some differences among EU members such as Poland and the UK. What is your country's strategy for overcoming this problem?
The main task of the Portuguese presidency is to execute the clear mandate, received last June during the European Summit in Brussels, to initiate negotiations leading to a new European Treaty.
With that purpose, Portugal has already presented to European partners a draft of the new treaty, which is the basis for negotiations at the Intergovernmental Conference convened by the presidency. We call it a Reformed Treaty. We are no longer calling it a Constitutional Treaty.
But the treaty requires unanimous agreement and ratification from all member states in accordance with their own respective internal procedures before the new treaty can take force.
Hopefully the new treaty will be adopted by EU heads of states and governments at the next European Summit, which will take place from Oct. 18 to 19 in Lisbon.
This procedure is very complex, but the Portuguese presidency is optimistic and believes that no member state intents to withdraw from or reopen the political compromise reached last June in Brussels at the European Summit.
Surprisingly, the EU is now completely run by Portuguese people. The European Commission (EC) is headed by Jose Manuel Barroso, a Portuguese citizen, and the EU presidency is held by your prime minister, Jose Socrates. Will this provide added value to the EU as a whole?
Indeed, it is not a common situation to have two citizens of the same country heading two outstanding European institutions.
Both are part of a new generation of Portuguese politicians, around the age of 50, belonging to two different European political families. Barroso (belongs) to the European People's Party and European Democrats, while Socrates (belongs) to the Socialist Group, to follow the designations in use in the European Parliament.
Each reflects the views of his institution (Jos Barroso, the Commission; Socrates, the Council of Europe), but both are committed to the principles of good relations, cooperation and the joint taking of decisions operating within a single institutional framework.
What is the present state of EU-ASEAN relations?
The 30 years of the EU-ASEAN partnership is a set of achievements and an example of a long standing, broad range cooperation. In this period of time there has been a significant growth in trade, investment and cooperation programs where EU experience in regional and economic integration may be relevant to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The on-going negotiations on Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) between the EU and six countries in the region (ASEAN) are part of our strategy to further strengthen the relationship between the two organizations.
Another priority for the Portuguese presidency is to push forward the accession of the EU to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) -- a treaty that will enhance cooperation between the two international organizations and their member states. To pursue negotiations leading to the signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN countries is also an important challenge.
Your country has assumed the EU presidency at a time when the EU and Indonesia are seeking greater bilateral cooperation in the economic field. How do you see future relations between the EU and Indonesia?
Relations between the EU and Indonesia are very good and we are committed to remaining engaged. Among diversified fields of cooperation, I would like to highlight two main issues:
One is the further intensification of EU-Indonesia political dialog by means of a first-ever meeting at the level of political directors. The meeting will probably take place next October in Jakarta.
The other is the signing of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) by the EU and Indonesia -- the first Southeast Asian country to conclude a PCA with the European Union and a paradigm for other ASEAN countries.
I think relations between the EU and Indonesia are moving in the right direction.
The EC has imposed a ban on Indonesian aircraft entering the airspace of EU member countries. This has become a thorny issue in relations between the EU and Indonesia. What is your country's opinion on this issue?
Indonesian authorities have stated that the decision to temporarily ban Indonesian airplanes from European Union skies has an ""adverse impact on the Indonesian travel and tourism industry"".
The decision of the Air Safety Committee, adopted by the European Commission, was, however, only taken because of safety reasons as a consequence of Indonesia's lack of success in complying with international standards set by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). A recent series of tragic accidents is apparently an illustration of these deficiencies.
But Indonesian traffic rights in the framework of bilateral air service agreements signed with several EU member states were not affected. Indonesia, if it wishes, may temporarily use the wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier not subject to an operating ban.
The present difficulties caused by the operating ban, on one side, and the vital need to respect safety regulations, on the other, should not stop us from seeing how impressive it has been on the intensification of relations between the EU and its member states with Indonesia.
In my view we should move forward. Let's not waste more time. I am sure that, if requested, the Commission and EU member states will be ready to find ways to support Indonesian authorities to improve aviation safety and to discuss with airlines plans for corrective actions so that the operating ban may be lifted in the very near future.
Both the EU and Indonesia must work together to solve this issue very soon.
