Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi has highlighted the spirit of friendship between his country and Vietnam in an article on the 73rd anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day (August 17, 1945-2018). 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) welcomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong during the later's official visit to Indonesia in 2017

He noted that this year, Indonesia and Vietnam have both celebrated their 73rd anniversaries of their Independence Days. Both nations declared independence after World War II in 1945. 

The ambassador recalled that the first President of Indonesia President Sukarno and Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh were close friends. 

Ibnu Hadi expressed his joy at the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic cooperation, saying that the process of bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been in line with the Action Plan of 2014-2018. 

The diplomat highlighted that two-way trade in the first half of 2018 hit nearly 4 billion USD, presenting a year-on-year increase of 24 percent. The figure is likely to double by the end of the year, which is 20 percent higher than that of 2017. 

Investment from Indonesia to Vietnam surged 36 percent in 2017, while those from Vietnam to Indonesia also recorded a remarkable growth. The number of Vietnamese and Indonesian tourists visiting the two countries is on the rise, he added. 

Indonesia is optimistic about achieving the bilateral trade target of 10 billion USD by 2020, he noted. 

The celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17, 2018 is all the more exciting and meaningful when it takes place the day before the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games, Ibnu Hadi said. 

Indonesia is proud of hosting the event, themed “Energy of Asia”, for the second time, the ambassador stressed, expressing his hope that Indonesians’ friendliness and hospitality will impress international friends. 

The sport event is hoped to strengthen friendship and solidarity among not only athletes joining the event, but also people across Asian nations, he said. 

“I am very impressed with the official visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to Indonesia in August 2017, which was a great success”, he emphasised, noting that the visit helped further promote bilateral relations in trade, education, agriculture, and maritime cooperation, he noted. 

Indonesia is preparing for President Joko Widodo’s official to Vietnam and his presence at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 in September, he said.

The visits will undoubtedly further bolster bilateral relations between the two Southeast Asian countries across many different fields, he added. 

The diplomat affirmed that as Indonesia’s ambassador to Vietnam, he is honoured to cooperate, support, and maintain friendly relations with government officials, partners, friends, and all relevant parties; as well as making every effort to maintain good relations between Vietnam and Indonesia.

He underlined that Indonesia has played an increasingly important role in the international arena. As the country with the largest Muslim population, the third largest democratic nation, the 16th largest economy in the world, and a well-known Southeast Asian nation, Indonesia has always contributed positively to prosperity and peace in the region and in the world. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with its GDP reaching a milestone of 1 trillion USD in 2017. –VNA