Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh was hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his working trip to Jakarta to co-chair the second foreign ministerial-level meeting of the Vietnam-Indonesia Bilateral Cooperation Committee.

At the reception on June 25, both sides highlighted the traditional relationship established and strengthened by Presidents Sukarno and Ho Chi Minh, which was lifted to a strategic partnership between the two countries in June 2013.

According to Deputy PM Minh, the relationship has since then developed extensively across politics, economics, trade, education, culture and tourism.

He expressed his delight at the fact that two-way trade reached 5.4 billion USD in 2014, one year ahead of the goal of five billion USD in 2015, and that the volume would be likely to meet the 10 billion USD in 2018 mark as intended by the leaders of the two countries.

Deputy PM Minh proposed the Indonesian president consider importing rice, pink onion, electronic components and other Vietnamese products and direct ministries to increase the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and generate new ones to promote the strategic partnership.

He also urged boosting maritime cooperation including the early formation of a hotline between the two countries’ navies, more joint patrol missions and boosted affiliation in search and rescue and the fight against terrorism, human trafficking and transnational crimes.

Deputy PM Minh took the occasion to convey President Truong Tan Sang’s invitation to President Joko Widodo to visit Vietnam at an early date.

President Joko Widodo said the visit of Deputy PM Minh is a good chance for the two sides to review cooperation and outlining orientations and specific measures to promote the strategic partnership.

The President proposed Vietnam boost the import of Indonesian agro-products and consumer goods and pledged to carefully consider Vietnam’s proposals.

President Joko Widodo shared Vietnam’s concerns over the complicated situation in the East Sea and underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and maritime and aviation safety.

He hoped all parties would resolve issues peacefully with respect for international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully execute the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and striving towards concluding a Code of Conduct (COC).

Vietnam-Indonesia relations developing soundly: officials

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi co-chaired the second foreign ministerial-level meeting of the countries’ Bilateral Cooperation Committee in Jakarta on June 24-25, highlighting the sound and efficient development of their relations across the board.

Political relations between Vietnam and Indonesia, strategic partners since June 2013, have been growing with high mutual trust, they said, noting regular high-ranking visits and contacts between Parties, Governments, States, parliaments and peoples.

The two nations have seen flourishing economic ties with trade reaching 5.4 billion USD in 2014, soaring by 17.4 percent from 2012 when the Bilateral Cooperation Committee was set up and achieving the turnover target one year ahead of schedule.

The 2010 defence cooperation agreement has been implemented effectively and collaboration in other realms like energy, aviation, culture, education-training and tourism is also strongly growing, helping promote their strategic partnership, the officials said.

At the meeting, they agreed to continue senior delegation exchanges, particularly as the countries celebrate the 60 th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

Besides further optimising the Bilateral Cooperation Committee’s efficiency, they will convene the seventh meeting of the joint committee on economics, trade, science and technology in 2015 and establish new cooperation mechanisms and agreements in other spheres.

Both sides shared the view that to realise the 10 billion USD trade goal by 2018, Vietnam and Indonesia need to create optimal conditions for their businesses in investing in and trading coal, minerals, consumer goods and farm produce while increasing commercial consultations.

Indonesia pledged to actively consider Vietnam’s suggestion to import the latter’s rice, purple onions, and electronics and consumer products.

The two countries will organise the third meeting of the joint technical committee on fisheries in 2015, the participants said.

Also at the meeting, Indonesia spoke highly of the countries’ coordination at regional and international forums and affirmed it will continue working with Vietnam and other ASEAN member nations to successfully build the ASEAN Community this year.

The country renewed its support for Vietnam’s candidacy as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council for the 2016-2018 term, adding that it will coordinate closely with Vietnam in organising the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017.

With regard to complicated developments in the East Sea, the two sides underscored the importance of sustaining peace, stability, and maritime and aviation security and safety in the waters; settling disputes peacefully through negotiations between relevant parties on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and ASEAN’s Six-Point Principles on the East Sea; fully complying with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea; and exerting efforts to expeditiously set up a code of conduct in the East Sea.

Concluding the second meeting, the two sides signed the meeting’s minutes and concurred that the third meeting will be hosted by Vietnam in 2017.

VNA