T

he European Union (EU) says in its bilateral cooperation with Indonesia it will focus on investment
in education reform, the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the reconstruction of areas devastated by natural disasters.

“The EU is a committed partner of Indonesia in key areas such as primary basic education, governance, health and trade-related technical assistance,” European delegation for relations with Southeast Asia and ASEAN chair Werner Langen said in a Tuesday press release.

An EU delegation is currently on a five-day tour to Jakarta and Yogyakarta to supervise two joint projects that are partially funded by the EU: The Java Reconstruction Fund (JRF) and the Clean Batik Initiative (CBI). The EU granted the JRF ¤78.05 million (US$95.22 million) and the CBI ¤1.8 million.

The JRF is a major reconstruction project to rehabilitate areas devastated by the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake by building housing for those affected and by developing SMEs to restore sources of income for victims of the disaster. The CBI is a project to promote environmentally sound batik creation.

These projects follow the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in 2009 by EU officials and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. Among the articles agreed upon were
the development of SMEs and the commitment of both parties to facilitate the transfer of technology for SMEs in order to achieve mutual benefits.

Indonesia’s education system is another sector that the EU is looking to develop further, as the EU sees investments in this sector benefitting Indonesia in the long run.

“As previously agreed upon during the official meeting between the EU and the Indonesian government, the EU will also assist Indonesia in the education sector. The EU has earmarked ¤144 million for
the development and reform of the Indonesian education system,” Langen said.