TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said that one of the agendas discussed in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Lima, Peru, on November 20, 2016, was the continuation of cooperation between ASEAN countries and the United States in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The United States has planned to scrap the TPP after Donald Trump was elected as the US President. Therefore, Enggartiasto said that the talks would focus on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
“It’s because the TPP is still uncertain,” Enggartiasto told Tempo at his office in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.
According to him, the RCEP is more certain, and the discussion has progressed further than the TPP. Therefore, Enggartiasto revealed that it is possible for countries, who previously expressed their commitment to join the TPP, to establish new cooperation or develop existing ones, “with or without the US.”
However, the Minister said that the relationship between China and India must be addressed prior to developing the RCEP.
“The issue with both countries must be addressed first so that the RCEP can be rolled out,” he said, adding that if India refused to join, a market gap would be unavoidable.
“India is also a big market,” he said.
During the APEC Summit in Peru, Enggar said that Vice President Jusuf Kalla suggested an establishment of Pacific Alliance with ASEAN. Kalla invited Pacific countries and ASEAN, as well as other countries to join the initiative.
ODELIA SINAGA