Denis Chaibi, the EU ambassador to Indonesia, said closer cooperation with the bloc would benefit developing countries rich in natural resources like Indonesia, as the EU is the world's largest trader in goods and services and one of its biggest investors, with more than 9 trillion euros (US$1.02 trillion) in foreign direct investment stock outside the bloc.

"Our economies are very, very complementary, and therefore we are ideal partners to each other for diversification," Chaibi said during a discussion on Tuesday in Depok, West Java, hosted by the Indonesian Institute for Foreign Affairs (IIFA), a think tank under the faculty of social sciences at the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII).

Both sides also share common values, he said, as Indonesia and EU member states are democracies that have had to overcome conflicts both within and beyond their borders.

"We too are a resilient democracy surrounded by a circle of fire. This should be a natural conduit for more cooperation in international institutions or more consultations," Chaibi said.

Despite their shared history and recent milestones, including the conclusion of negotiations for the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in September 2025, Chaibi acknowledged that the relationship had faced points of contention, particularly Indonesia's criticism of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which Jakarta says could hamper exports of key commodities to the bloc.

The EU has also sought to curb Russia's military advance in Ukraine by imposing 21 rounds of sanctions on Moscow. Indonesia, meanwhile, has continued economic trade with Russia while expressing concern over the war.

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