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Jakarta: Indonesia will sign a trade and investment partnership deal with Australia in March, Indonesia's Trade Minister said on Thursday, three months later than expected and following diplomatic friction between the two countries over Middle East policy.
Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita told reporters that the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement would be signed at an Indonesia-Australia business conference.
Steven Ciobo, former trade minister, with his Indonesian counterpart Enggartiasto Lukita during free trade agreement discussions in Sydney in 2016.Credit:Cole Bennetts
Negotiations on the deal, which has been years in the making, were completed in August and it had been due to be signed by the end of 2018.
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported in August that the two countries were poised to sign the agreement in November in what would have been a big political win for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.