GEO-ECONOMIZING MEGA RTA’S/REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS: HOW TO STATE-CRAFTING INDONESIA’S ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY THROUGH RCEP

Indonesia - 3 May 2021

Trade topics: Regional Integration, RCEP, Indonesia

This outreach activity is part of a focused group discussion (FGD) organized by and attended by government officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and other relevant ministries and institutions. Content of my presentation include:
■ RCEP as Mega RTA’s – Key Features/Claims, Opportunities and Challenges, Contexts of ASEAN Plus
One Schemes
– Key Features
– Opportunities and Challenges
– Best Practices and Lessons Learnt (from “ASEAN Plus One” Schemes)
■ State-crafting Economic Diplomacy (ED) – Proposed Approach
– From “Geo-politics” to “Geo-economics”
– Key Elements in State-crafting Economic Diplomacy: From Foreign Policy, Diplomacy to Economy
at Home (towards “National Economic Interests/Strategic Objectives of ED)
– Responses and Challenges to ED
– Redefining “Strategic Objectives”: Adopting ED – Strands of ED
– Indonesia/IDN ED Contexts: Qs to Raise and Discuss
■ IDN ED Agenda in RCEP – a Food for Thought
– Institutional Setting
– Key Agenda: Integrated Trade and Investment (TI) Promotion Scheme
– A Caveat: Current Pandemic Setting, Going beyond Covid-19 Recession

Author