She said on Thursday that major parts of the IA-CEPA had been completely negotiated, but that there were still a number issues that needed further negotiation.

"Substantial issues have been completed, but there are a number of issues that require further negotiation. The negotiations are still ongoing. We still don’t know what level of progress will be reached tomorrow,” Retno said at the Bogor Palace in West Java as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Retno did not elaborate on which issues remained unsettled in the IA-CEPA. She said only that the matters related to technical issues, the negotiation of which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Morrison is scheduled to meet with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Bogor Palace. It will be his first foreign trip after his inauguration as the Australian prime minister last Friday.

“His visit reflects Australia's commitment to improving bilateral relations with Indonesia,” said Retno.

The IA-CEPA talks began in 2010. The latest round of talks took place in Jakarta from Dec. 4 to 8, 2017, when negotiators were initially expected to wrap up talks. However, they failed to settle their differences.

If agreed to, the IA-CEPA will cover trade, investment, education, tourism and security matters. (bbn)

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