EU-Indonesia: Time for stronger engagement.

from THE JAKARTA POST -- MONDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2010 Indonesia matters. As world leaders step up engagement with Asia's rising powers, the focus is not just on China and India but increasingly also on Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, most populous nation and arguably one of Asia's most exciting nations.

A modern, robust -- and recent -- democracy, Indonesia is a key Asian member of the G20, a leading player in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a moderating force within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

It is notching up impressive economic growth rates, is the driving force behind many Asian regional integration initiatives and is also strategically located: Half of world trade passes by its northern maritime border, giving the country a strategic role in ensuring safe and secure international navigation.

Small wonder then that US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard are …