At the invitation of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo paid a State visit to Vietnam.
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| General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong welcomed Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his visit to Vietnam, September 2018. (Photo: VNA) |
This is an important occasion for the two sides to continue to strengthen the traditional friendship and bring the Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership into more substance and effectiveness.
Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations on December 30, 1955. With the foundation of traditional friendship constantly nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries, Vietnam-Indonesia relations have increasingly developed comprehensively in both breadth and depth, especially after being upgraded to Strategic Partnership in 2013. Currently, Vietnam is Indonesia's only Strategic Partner in ASEAN.
Over the past time, the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia have continued to develop favorably. The two sides have regularly exchanged delegations and held high-level meetings, as well as meetings at all levels, especially in 2023 when the two countries celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership, thereby orienting cooperation in many fields. Cooperation agreements and arrangements between the two sides have been effectively implemented, including the action program to implement the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership for the period 2019-2023.
Over the past time, the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia have continued to develop favorably.
The two countries have achieved results in cooperation in many areas. In ASEAN, Indonesia is currently Vietnam's third largest trading partner, while Vietnam is Indonesia's fourth largest trading partner. By the end of November 2023, bilateral trade turnover reached about 12.6 billion USD. The two countries aim to reach a more balanced bilateral trade turnover of 15 billion USD.
As members of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Vietnam and Indonesia have many opportunities to promote trade cooperation and achieve their goals in the coming time. Regarding investment, as of September 2023, Indonesia has 119 investment projects in Vietnam worth more than 646 million USD, focusing on the fields of processing, manufacturing, accommodation and catering services. Vietnam's investment projects in Indonesia focus on the fields of trade, information technology, agriculture and industry.
In the field of defense and security, the two sides regularly exchange delegations and have signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents and agreements, while actively participating in activities within the framework of ASEAN. Cooperation in other important areas such as agriculture, transportation, people-to-people exchanges, local connections, etc. continues to be promoted. On the path of recovery, the tourism industry has great potential to promote cooperation between the two countries. In 2022, Vietnam welcomed about 36,000 Indonesian tourists, an increase of 15,000 compared to 2021. By the end of October 2023, there were more than 81,000 Indonesian tourists coming to Vietnam.
In multilateral cooperation, the two countries maintain coordinated positions, especially on important strategic issues, at regional and international forums such as ASEAN, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Non-Aligned Movement, etc. Vietnam has closely coordinated with Indonesia when Indonesia holds the responsibility of ASEAN Chair in 2023, contributing to strengthening solidarity and ensuring the central role of the Association.
Taking place in the context of the positive development of the bilateral relationship, President Joko Widodo's State visit to Vietnam is of great significance, continuing to contribute to consolidating political trust and enhancing cooperation between the two countries in all aspects, such as politics-diplomacy, defense-security, economy, etc. The visit is not only an opportunity for both sides to review the achievements in the past time, but also creates opportunities to promote cooperation in potential areas, such as education, culture, aviation, technology, energy conversion, electric vehicles, etc. in the coming time.
By warmly and respectfully welcoming President Joko Widodo, Vietnam continues to affirm its consistent policy of always attaching importance to relations with neighboring countries and ASEAN, including Indonesia. Wishing President Joko Widodo's State visit to Vietnam a great success, contributing to further strengthening the friendship and promoting the strategic partnership between the two countries to develop more deeply.
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