Quan said that the visits, following the July visit of the Party leader to another ASEAN member of Cambodia, affirmed Vietnam’s external policy of highly valuing neighbouring and regional countries as well as the ASEAN, said Quan.

The Party chief’s visit to Indonesia was the first made by a Party leader after the visit by late President Ho Chi Minh as a State leader in 1959. It aimed to beef up the bilateral strategic partnership and political trust, friendship and cooperation, marking new progress in the Vietnam-Indonesia relations.

Meanwhile, the leader’s State visit to Myanmar aimed to bring the bilateral ties to a new height. The two sides officially set up their comprehensive cooperative partnership, noted Quan.

He said that the Party leader’s visits were successful with all set targets completed.

During the two-day stay in Indonesia, he had 17 meetings and working sessions with Indonesian leaders, during which the two sides reached common perspectives on major orientations to bolster bilateral partnership.

They declared that Vietnam and Indonesia will continue to be trustworthy friends with shared values and interest.

The Indonesian side stressed the country’s great attention to developing ties with Vietnam, its only strategic partner in ASEAN.

The two sides signed six cooperation deals.

At the same time, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Indonesian leaders highlighted the significance of maintaining peace and stability in the region, ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, peacefully resolving disputes, and complying with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. They also stressed the need to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon reach a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

In Myanmar, the Party chief held 21 meetings with local leaders and officials. They pointed to abundant collaboration potential in trade, investment, and human and natural resources.

The two countries issued a joint statement on the establishment of comprehensive cooperative partnership, while inking four agreements. The two sides also shared views on the East Sea issues.

Quan said that in his speech delivered at Indonesia’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasised that ASEAN is a successful organization with positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, while stressing the grouping’s lessons on maintaining independence, self-reliance, solidarity and unity, and his hope for responsibility and contributions of all members to strengthening the association’s solidarity.

He also affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of giving top priority to the ASEAN.

VNA