Deepening the Vietnam - Indonesia Strategic Partnership

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to Indonesia will be an important milestone, creating a new, more substantial change in the relationship between the two countries.

At the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, today (August 22), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to the Republic of Indonesia for 3 days. The visit is of historic significance, as it is the first visit by a General Secretary of our Party to Indonesia. The visit will mark an important milestone, deepening the Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership.

Vietnam and Indonesia officially established diplomatic relations in 1955 on the basis of the good traditional relationship built and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno. After more than 60 years of development, especially since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2013, the relationship between the two countries has continuously developed strongly in many fields.

The two sides regularly maintain meetings and contacts between high-ranking leaders, as well as delegation exchanges at all levels, contributing to enhancing political trust and mutual understanding. In economic cooperation, Indonesia is Vietnam's fifth largest economic partner in ASEAN and one of the major investors in Vietnam. Bilateral trade turnover in 2016 reached 6.4 billion USD, and the two sides strive to soon bring two-way trade to the target of 10 billion USD in the near future.

In the field of security and defense, the two countries have been cooperating closely at forums such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus, etc. Cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and tourism has achieved many results. Every year, about 50,000 Vietnamese tourists come to Indonesia and about 80,000 people from Indonesia come to Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam and Indonesia are making efforts to negotiate to soon resolve the issue of demarcation of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), to create momentum for the bilateral relationship to develop more deeply and widely in the future.

As major countries with important positions in ASEAN, Vietnam and Indonesia have many similar interests. Both countries emphasize the need to join hands to build a united, peaceful and prosperous ASEAN Community. Both sides wish to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea and Southeast Asia, wish to resolve disputes in the East Sea on the basis of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, strictly implement the DOC and aim to soon complete the construction of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea COC.

In the economic field, Vietnam and Indonesia are emerging economies, with the fastest economic growth rates in the region and the world. In addition, the potential and advantages of population size will create many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the future.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to Indonesia this time consistently demonstrates Vietnam's foreign policy of peace, independence, cooperation and development; affirming Vietnam's policy of continuing to value and strengthen cooperative, friendly and traditional relations with neighboring countries in the region, especially ASEAN countries.

The visit aims to continue strengthening trust and understanding between the leaders and people of the two countries; deepening cooperation on the basis of the established strategic partnership; and enhancing coordination in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Based on the good relationship and great potential for cooperation, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to the Republic of Indonesia this time will be an important milestone, creating a new, more substantial change in the relationship between the two countries./.

According to VOV