Minister Retno said Schengen member countries need to take visa liberation actions for Indonesian citizens in exchange for the same policy the Indonesian government has given to most Schengen member countries, according to a press statement from the foreign ministry.
The Indonesian government recently issued a visa-free facility for a number of Schengen member countries through Presidential Regulation Number 69, 2015.
At the meeting minister Retno stated that Indonesia is the biggest economy in Southeast Asia and the first country of the region that had made partnership and cooperation agreements and also a forestry agreement with the European Union.
She said the rate of rejection of visa applications from Indonesia has also been very low at only 1.1 percent in 2014 and the number of violations of European Union immigration regulations committed by Indonesian citizens is also very minimum.
"These things need to be taken for consideration by the European Union to give a tourist visa-free facility for Indonesian citizens," she said.
In response Vice President Timmermans said he took a note of the Indonesian request well and would study it.
The two had used the meeting to discuss potential EU contributions to development efforts in Indonesia especially in the field of infrastructure and maritime.
They also discussed efforts to increase cooperation between the European Union and the ASEAN countries especially with regard to the handling of illegal immigrants and refugees as well as transnational crimes.
Minister Retno plans to discuss various issues of cooperation between ASEAN and the European Union with the EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Federica Mogherini, in Kuala Lumpur, early in August 2015.
Minister Retno and her Belgium counterpart, Didier Reynders, have earlier discussed the possibility of providing visa-free facility for holders of diplomatic, official and regular passport for exchange of visits.
Indonesia and Belgium are discussing the final draft exchange of notes for visa liberation for diplomatic and official passport holders. The two ministers agreed the draft could be finished before the summer holiday this year.
Minister Retno has asked Belgium to be the main supporter of Indonesia's efforts to get visa-free facility for its citizens visiting Schengen region.
Belgium is one of the 45 countries that has received a tourist visa-free facility from Indonesia. (WDY)
Pewarta: Reporting by Yuni Arisandy: I Gusti Bagus Widyantara
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