Indonesia always values its traditional friendship and cooperative relations with Vietnam, its only strategic partner in ASEAN, and seeks to implement more measures to make their strategic partnership increasingly substantive, President-elect Prabowo Subianto told Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam at a reception in Hanoi on September 13.

Subianto, who is in Hanoi for September 13-14 visit, congratulated Vietnam on recording significant milestones in economic development, helping to elevate its standing globally. He also expressed deep sympathy for the significant human and property losses caused by Typhoon Yagi and subsequent landslides and flashfloods in northern Vietnam.

To Lam for his part welcomed Subianto’s visit, demonstrating Indonesia’s desire to further foster the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He commended Indonesia for its recent achievements in socio-economic development, pointing out that Indonesia has become the largest economy in Southeast Asia and one of the fastest-growing digital markets globally. He also acknowledged Indonesia’s numerous initiatives and positive contributions to peace and cooperation in the region and the wider world.

The two leaders praised the positive developments in the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership in recent times, through maintaining high-level exchanges and meetings. Cooperation in security and defense, maritime affairs, culture, tourism, transportation, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as local connectivity, has been actively promoted.

In ASEAN, Indonesia is Vietnam’s third largest trading partner, while Vietnam is Indonesia’s fourth largest trading partner. Trade between the two countries has increased nearly fourfold over the past decade. Businesses of the two countries are enhancing investments in each other’s markets in key sectors such as processing and manufacturing, accommodation services, trade, information technology, agriculture, and industry.

The two sides discussed cooperation directions to elevate bilateral relations to new heights. They agreed to further strengthen political trust through high-level exchanges and meetings, bring into full play bilateral mechanisms, formulate an Action Program for the next five-year phase of the strategic partnership, and coordinate practical activities to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Indonesia in 2025.

Both sides affirmed their determination to increase bilateral trade to US$18 billion by 2028 through trade promotion and business connections, along with addressing trade difficulties and barriers to facilitate access to each other’s markets.

The leaders agreed to continue encouraging and facilitating investments by businesses from both countries in each other’s markets, particularly in emerging fields such as digital economy, green economy, energy transition, and development of electric vehicle ecosystems.

To Lam affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Indonesia in ensuring food security, and at the same time requested Indonesia to facilitate access for Vietnamese agricultural products and Halal products to its market.

The two sides consented to strengthen cooperation in other important areas such as defense and security, information sharing, and coordination in combating transnational crime. They also committed to closely working together to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

To Lam requested that Indonesia support and share experiences in training Vietnamese officers participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Regarding regional and international issues of mutual concern, both sides agreed to continue coordinating and supporting each other in various forums and organizations, especially ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement. They emphasized the importance of sustainable and equitable development in sub-regions of the area.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. They committed to maintaining ASEAN’s unity, common stance, and achievements on the East Sea and advancing negotiations on a practical and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

To Lam expected that Indonesia will support and send high-level representatives to the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 and the Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit.

Top Vietnamese legislator hosts Indonesian President-elect

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted a reception in Hanoi on September 14 for Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is on a working visit to the nation from September 13 to September 14.

The NA Chairman congratulated President-elect Subianto on his election and said he believes that the Indonesian guest will lead his nation to record further achievements, continue to prosper, rise in international stature, and realise its set target of becoming a developed country by 2045, its 100th independence anniversary.

Vietnam always aspires to deepen its strategic partnership with Indonesia towards elevating ties to a comprehensive strategic one in 2025 when they will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations, NA Chairman Man told his guest.

He also hailed the outcomes of the extensive and substantive talks held between Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Indonesian President-elect, which, he said, outlined major orientations for the future of bilateral ties.

In reply, President-elect Subianto extended his sympathy to Vietnam over the severe human and asset loss caused by typhoon Yagi.

Underlining the similarities in history between the two nations, he expressed his confidence that joint co-operation will continue developing in all areas for the greater benefit of people from both sides.

He therefore pledged to boost the win-win collaboration between the two countries, using the occasion to thank the Vietnamese side for supporting Indonesia during its ASEAN chairmanship last year, emphasizing that bilateral ties will result in a more effective voice for peace in the region and the world.

Host and guest underscored the necessity of ramping up linkages in the domains of defence, security, and prevention of transnational crimes to protect the citizens and national integrity of each nation, as well as in the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

They reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea; agreeing to maintain solidarity, common stance, and the results that ASEAN has attained on the East Sea issue. This is along with promoting negotiations for a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the waters in accordance with international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

Hailing co-operation between the two legislative bodies over recent times, especially after the signing of the co-operation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and Indonesian House of Representatives in August last year, NA Chairman Man said both sides have exchanged delegations and shared law building experience to further facilitate co-operation in areas with global significance such as the green, circular, and digital economies, as well as in energy transition and semiconductors.

He outlined his hopes that Subianto will support further collaboration between the two legislative bodies regarding delegation exchanges and experience sharing.

He therefore suggested that the two sides unite to supervise the implementation of co-operation agreements between the two nations; offer favourable conditions for comprehensive collaboration, including connection of economies, localities and enterprises, and people-to-people exchange; while working hand in hand at multilateral forums like the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).

Indonesia, Vietnam set sights on US$18 billion bilateral trade target

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto have expressed confidence that the two countries will soon reach the bilateral trade target of US$18 billion in the time ahead.

At a reception held for the Indonesian President-elect in Hanoi on September 14, PM Chinh gave assurance over Vietnam's readiness to co-operate and support Indonesia in ensuring food security. He asked the Indonesian side to soon sign a rice trade co-operation agreement, facilitate Vietnamese farm produce and Halal products to access the Indonesian market, and back the nation's efforts for the European Commission (EC)’s removal of the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing yellow card.

He congratulated President-elect Subianto on his election for the 2024 to 2029 term with high confidence and welcomed his visit to Vietnam amid both nations celebrating the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership, towards the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations ahead in 2025.

The visit also demonstrates the close-knit relationship, trust, and determination that exists between the two countries as they strive step up ties and sustainable development for the causes of peace, stability, and common prosperity.

The Government chief congratulated Indonesia on its 79th National Day and its remarkable achievements to become the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 16th in the world, with social security guaranteed.

PM Chinh expressed his belief that the Indonesian Government and people will continue to record many great achievements in the cause of national construction and development, achieving the goal of becoming a developed country on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the nation ahead in 2045, with an increasingly significant role and position in the region and the world.

The President-elect congratulated Vietnam on its National Day and offered condolences over the serious damage caused by typhoon Yagi.

He expressed his admiration for the indomitable and resilient spirit of the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national independence, as well as in the causes of national construction and development. He affirmed that he highly values ​​and will make every effort to strengthen and develop the traditional friendship and strategic partnership with the Vietnamese side more strongly in a variety of fields.

The two leaders agreed that over the past nearly seven decades, the bilateral relationship, originally founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno, has developed strongly and extensively, especially after upgrading the relationship to that of a strategic partnership in 2013.

Both nations have worked to maintain deeper political understanding and trust, more comprehensive and effective linkages across multiple fields, while they have also actively collaborated and supported each other at multilateral mechanisms such as UN, ASEAN, and Non-Aligned Movement.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed on a number of major orientations to effectively exploit co-operation potential in various fields, develop the strategic partnership in an increasingly deeper and more substantial manner, and take the bilateral relationship to new heights  in the near future in celebration of the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of each country's independence next year.

They also pledged to continue intensifying the exchange of high-level and all-level delegations and contacts through various channels, effectively carry out bilateral co-operation mechanisms to build trust and help deal with difficulties in numerous areas, whilst striving to soon achieve the goal of reaching US$18 billion in bilateral trade turnover.

Subianto, for his part, wished to augment co-operation with the country on food security, energy security, and high technology, with high hopes that Vietnam will share its experience in agricultural development.

The two sides consented to encourage and create optimal conditions for businesses from both countries to invest in each other's markets, especially in new areas such as the digital economy, the green economy, energy conversion, and electric vehicle ecosystem development, whilst working to accelerate the early signing of co-operation documents on technical training and digital economy.

The two leaders also agreed to deepen ties in other important areas such as defence and security, maritime co-operation, fisheries collaboration, and digital partnerships. This includes cross-border e-commerce, digital transformation; combating transnational crimes and other forms of cybercrime, supporting information technology enterprises; enhancing cultural and people-to-people exchange, and aviation and locality-to-locality connectivity.

They also compared notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern, whilst agreeing to strengthen co-operation, reinforce solidarity, the central role, and common views of ASEAN in regional security issues. This includes the East Sea issue and to promote sustainable and equitable development of sub-regions in the region, including the Mekong sub-region.

PM Chinh suggested that Indonesia continue to closely work alongside Vietnam to maintain solidarity, common stance, and ASEAN's achievements in the East Sea issue, whilst speeding up substantive and effective negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

He also used this occasion to urge Indonesia to support and dispatch a high-ranking representative to the 2025 ASEAN Future Forum and the Partnering for Green Growth & the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit which will be held in Vietnam next year.

VOV/VNA