Jakarta, Oct. 23 -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that Indonesia and Brazil agreed to immediately start the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) negotiations between Indonesia and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

Mercosur is a South American trade bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

"We agreed to move towards a comprehensive economic partnership agreement ... we received support from Brazil, which currently holds the Mercosur presidency," he said in a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, here on Thursday.

President Prabowo also noted that Indonesia and Brazil have forged strategic cooperation, including a defense cooperation ...