Сравнительная политика (Mar 2024)
Interregionalism in the Context of FTA between Integration Organizations (EU and EAEU) and Indonesia: Prospects and Obstacles
Abstract
Integration organizations exhibit variations in the extent of integration interaction, economic capacity, and global significance. The European Union (EU) stands out as the most successful in terms of regional integration, actively engaging in external relations with diverse regions, individual nations, and integration blocs. Particularly noteworthy is the EU's robust advancement of interregional policies in Latin America with the Common Market of South America (MERCOSUR) and in Asia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Interregionalism is commonly construed as collaboration between two integration blocs, termed the "pure" or ideal form of interregionalism. However, another variant exists, involving interaction not with the integration bloc as a whole but with its individual member countries, known as quasi-interregionalism. Within Southeast Asia (SEA), a coexistence of various interregionalism types is observable, such as "pure" interregionalism between the EU and ASEAN, and quasi-interregionalism in dealings between the EU and countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam within the association. This article focuses on the case of quasi-interregionalism in the EU-Indonesia context. The EU's interregional approach towards Indonesia aims to establish a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). Similarly, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) actively pursues interregional policies, fostering trade and economic cooperation with ASEAN members, having already finalized FTAs with Singapore and Vietnam. A key issue is the ongoing negotiations for an FTA agreement with Indonesia, initiated in the spring of 2023. The significance of this study lies in the limited exploration of interregional dynamics between the EAEU and Indonesia by both domestic and international scholars. Comparing this with the more extensively studied case of EU-Indonesia quasi-interregionalism can provide a foundation for a deeper examination of the topic. This article aims to compare the interregional experiences of the EU and EAEU with Indonesia, identify factors influencing interregional policy implementation in the region, and offer a forecast regarding the future of EU and EAEU agreements with Indonesia. Comparative analysis criteria include the status of trade relations, their institutionalization level, and obstacles to concluding FTA agreements.
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