Indonesia and Malaysia Line up against Brussels
(Biofuels International) Malaysia has thrown its weight behind Indonesia’s rebuke of the EU’s Deforestation Regulation.
Indonesia’s President Jokowi and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim declared their position during the first meeting of the two leaders on January 9, stating that they “agreed to strengthen cooperation to boost markets and combat discrimination against palm oil”.
Last week, Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told reporters: “The EU deforestation policy is a step against good kinship. Jokowi’s speech has made it clear that […] the policy is of concern to ASEAN. That the EU cannot dictate. This is an opportunity for Indonesia and Malaysia to join forces and be united in our voices. We stand with Jokowi on this matter.”
A new found cooperation between the two may be a significant blow for the EU in the region. Although the EU-ASEAN Summit produced few substantive results, EU officials had pinned their hopes on stronger bilateral relationships. READ MORE