The 9th KAS–CSIS German–Indonesian Strategic Dialogue

Group photo, from left to right: Haryo Limanseto (Senior Advisor, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs), Dr. Yose Rizal (Executive Director, CSIS Indonesia), Jusuf Wanandi (Co-Founder, CSIS Indonesia), Ambassador Ralf Beste (German Ambassador to Indonesia), Airlangga Hartarto (Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs), Dr. Christoph Brand (Treasurer, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung), Dr. Edi Prio Pambudi (Deputy Minister for Cooperation and Investment, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs), Dr. Denis Suarsana (Resident Representative, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Indonesia), Antoine Ripoll (Envoy for Parliamentary Affairs, EU Delegation to ASEAN), Elen Setiadi (Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs)

Dr. Christoph Brand, Member of the Board and Treasurer of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, during his welcome address to the participants

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, delivering his keynote address

Vice Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Dwi Andayani, delivering her address

Panel “Towards the New Global Economic Arrangement: The Role of Multilateral and Regional Arrangements”. From left to right: Dr. Shafiah F. Muhibat (Deputy Executive Director, CSIS Indonesia), Iman Pambagyo (former Indonesian Ambassador to the WTO), Rifan Ardianto (Head of the Center for International Trade Policy, Ministry of Trade), Dr. Christian E. Rieck (KAS Visiting Fellow at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney)

Panel “Trump’s Trade Legacy in Southeast Asia: Strategic Risks and Openings for Europe”. From left to right: Dr. Lina A. Alexandra (Head of the Department of International Relations, CSIS Indonesia), Dr. Jayant Menon (Senior Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore), Tim Wenniges (Deputy Managing Director, Unternehmer Baden-Württemberg e. V., Stuttgart)

Panel “Beyond CEPA: Shaping the Future of EU–Indonesia Relations through Infrastructure, Energy, and Technology”. From left to right: M. Habib Abiyan Dzakwan (CSIS Indonesia), Dandy Rafitrandi (Economic Expert, CSIS Indonesia), Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy (Visiting Fellow at the Martens Centre), Dr. Michelle Limenta (Director of the Center for International Trade and Investment, Universitas Pelita Harapan)

Panel “Gateway or Bottleneck? Indonesia’s Positioning at the Center of European Integration in Asia’s Supply Chains”. From left to right: Adinova Fauri (CSIS Indonesia), Mugi Harfianza (Head of Digital Industries, PT Siemens Indonesia), Didit Ratam (Indonesian Employers Association, APINDO), Jonas Präfke (German Embassy in Indonesia)

Under the theme “Trade and Competitiveness in a Changing Global Landscape: Building a Stronger Economic Partnership Between Europe and Indonesia”, the 9th KAS–CSIS German–Indonesian Strategic Dialogue was held in Jakarta on 4 November 2025. This annually convened dialogue serves as a central forum for strategic exchange between Germany, Europe, and Indonesia on geopolitical and geoeconomic developments. The focus of this year’s discussions was how the economic partnership could be further deepened in the face of profound global disruptions in trade and international supply chains.

The event gained particular relevance through the conclusion of negotiations on the Indonesia–EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (I–EU CEPA), following nearly ten years of arduous talks.

The dialogue was opened by German Ambassador Ralf Beste, Dr. Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director of CSIS Indonesia, and Dr. Christoph Brand, Member of the Board and Treasurer of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. In his welcome remarks, Dr. Brand emphasized the growing strategic importance of relations between Europe and Indonesia against the backdrop of far-reaching geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts. He stressed that the CEPA agreement should not be seen as an endpoint, but rather as a starting point for a long-term and deeper economic partnership—one that requires courage, political will, and sustained commitment on both sides.

The high significance of the conclusion of the I–EU CEPA for the Indonesian side was reflected in the high-level keynote speakers, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Vice Minister of Trade Diyah Roro Dwi Andayani. The European Union was represented by Antoine Ripoll, Minister-Counsellor for Parliamentary Affairs at the EU-Delegation to ASEAN.

In his keynote address, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto underscored the growing strategic importance of relations between Indonesia and the European Union. He welcomed the conclusion of the CEPA negotiations and highlighted the agreement’s role in fostering investment, sustainable industrial development, and Indonesia’s green transformation. He emphasized that CEPA should now be implemented swiftly in order to deliver tangible economic benefits for the Indonesian people.

Overall, the 9th KAS–CSIS Germany–Indonesia Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed the high strategic relevance of EU–Indonesia relations. The discussions highlighted that CEPA represents a key instrument for a deeper economic partnership, whose success, however, will depend on consistent implementation, regulatory reliability, and close cooperation between politics, business, and civil society.