At the event, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi expressed his delight over the robust development in the bilateral relations with Vietnam in the past years.

Two-way trade in the first six months of 2017 rose 24 percent and is likely to reach US$7 billion by the end of 2017, he said, adding that aviation connection is being expanded with the cooperation between Garuda, the national airline of Indonesia, and Vietnam Airlines, and the opening of a new service by Vietjet Air.

Ibnu Hadi took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese Government and people for supporting Indonesia in the past years and expressed his hope that two countries will enjoy further development in their relations with effective cooperation in various fields.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Dinh Quy congratulated the Indonesian Government and people over their achievements in national construction.

He highlighted that Indonesia was among the world’s top 10 exporters in 2016 and has become an attractive destination for foreign investors. The country is an important member of the ASEAN bloc with increasing position and prestige in the regional and international arena.

The deputy minister stressed that Vietnam always cherishes relations with Indonesia, and noted that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to Indonesia last August opened up a new historic page, taking the bilateral relations to a new height.

Quy believed that with common efforts made by the two countries, the strategic partnership relations will be deepened for mutual benefits of the two peoples in the coming time.

VNA