The EU considers Indonesia a priority country, given its size, its geo-political importance and its role in the fight against the effects of climate change. Over the past few years, the EU and Indonesia have intensified their partnership. The political dialogue is undertaken through annual Ministerial meetings and through regular Senior Officials Meetings, the most recent of which took place in September 2008 in Brussels.
The EU is Indonesia's 4th largest trading partner, representing more than 10% of its total external trade.
EU cooperation with Indonesia dates back to the 1970s. This cooperation was formalised under the 1980 EC-ASEAN Agreement. The EU Delegation in Indonesia was opened in 1988. A political and economic dialogue between the EU and Indonesia was re-launched in February 2000 with the release of the Commission's Communication "Developing Closer Relations between Indonesia & the EU".