Joint statement between Vietnam and Indonesia

Joint statement between Vietnam and Indonesia issued during the State visit of President Truong Tan Sang to Indonesia from June 27-28.

President of the Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, welcomes President Truong Tan Sang. (Photo: Nguyen Khang/VNA)

1. At the invitation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Republic of Indonesia, President Truong Tan Sang of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and his wife paid a State visit to the Republic of Indonesia from June 27-28, 2013.

2. During his visit, President Truong Tan Sang held talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. The two leaders shared views and highly appreciated the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia, which has been maintained and developed well with many important achievements, contributing to promoting the prosperity of both countries, especially since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955.

3. The two leaders committed to elevating the traditional bilateral relationship to a new level and officially decided to establish a Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia based on the Joint Declaration between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Indonesia on the Framework for a Comprehensive and Friendly Partnership in the 21st Century (2003) and the Vietnam-Indonesia Action Program for the period 2012-2015 (2011).

4. The Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership is also consistent with the principles set forth in the Charters of the United Nations and ASEAN, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), as well as other widely recognized principles of international law.

5. In that spirit, the two leaders agreed to strengthen exchanges of high-level visits and further promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. The two leaders agreed to entrust the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs with the responsibility of coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to develop an Action Program outlining methods and measures to implement the Strategic Partnership in a concrete and effective manner. The two leaders also emphasized the importance of the two countries periodically reviewing the implementation of the Strategic Partnership through bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Ministerial-level Bilateral Cooperation Committee and the Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

6. Regarding defense and security cooperation, the two leaders supported the more effective implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Cooperation between Defense Officials and Related Activities (2010), the Agreement on Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Crime (2005), and the Reference for Establishing a Dialogue Mechanism between the Navies of the two countries (2012). The two leaders also encouraged enhanced cooperation in the field of defense industry and non-traditional security.

7. Regarding trade, the two leaders appreciated the stable growth of bilateral trade and committed to promoting bilateral trade cooperation that is growing, balanced, and sustainable. The two leaders expressed confidence that the target of $5 billion in trade turnover would be achieved before 2015 and agreed to set a target of $10 billion in trade turnover by 2018.

8. The two leaders shared positive assessments of the growing investment cooperation and committed to further promoting a more attractive and favorable environment for investment and trade. The Indonesian President expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Government would continue to support and assist Indonesia in strengthening economic cooperation in Vietnam.

9. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promoting bilateral cooperation to ensure sustainable energy and food security through trade, investment, and joint research and development. Regarding food security, the two leaders welcomed the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding on Rice Trade until 2017 and agreed to strengthen cooperation in food production and quality management, as well as reserve management. Regarding energy security, the two leaders agreed to encourage the business communities of both countries to proactively explore possibilities for cooperation in the energy and mineral resources sectors, including the development of environmentally friendly mining industries, coal and mineral trading, electricity production, and new and renewable energy.

10. The two Leaders noted the progress in fisheries and aquaculture cooperation, emphasizing the need for both countries to strengthen the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (2010) to exploit the enormous potential for cooperation in this field and to address the issue of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, including arranging for the repatriation of fishermen arrested or detained for such reasons.

11. The two Leaders instructed the technical teams of both sides to expedite discussions to finalize the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone as soon as possible, and encouraged both sides to find a provisional solution to facilitate maritime and fisheries cooperation without affecting the final outcome of the maritime boundary delimitation.

12. The two leaders are determined to further strengthen people-to-people exchanges by promoting cooperation in the fields of education, culture, and tourism. To this end, the two leaders agreed to renew the Memorandum of Understanding on Educational Cooperation (2005), promote close cooperation in the development of ecotourism and MICE tourism, and promote cultural cooperation, including activities within the framework of the Heritage of Civilizations.

13. The two Leaders agreed to further strengthen ASEAN's work toward building a politically cohesive, economically integrated, and socially responsible ASEAN Community by 2015, in order to capitalize on current and future opportunities and effectively respond to regional and international challenges.

14. President Truong Tan Sang reiterated Vietnam's commitment to continue actively supporting Indonesia in its role as APEC Chair in 2013. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono affirmed Indonesia's support for Vietnam in its role as APEC Chair in 2017. President Yudhoyono invited President Truong Tan Sang to attend the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Bali in October 2013.

15. Regarding the South China Sea, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, and maritime security in the South China Sea and their shared commitments under the DOC to ensure the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The two leaders expressed strong support for ASEAN's Six-Point Declaration on the South China Sea issue and welcomed the commencement of exchanges on the Code of Conduct (COC) between ASEAN and China, hoping that these exchanges would continue and work towards the early completion of a Regional Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

16. Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents, including the Extradition Agreement, the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Agricultural Products. On the sidelines of the visit, the two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation, a Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation, and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Indonesia. The two leaders instructed relevant ministries and agencies of both countries to actively implement these cooperation documents.

17. President Truong Tan Sang and his wife expressed their gratitude for the warm and thoughtful reception extended by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife to the high-level Vietnamese delegation. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife happily accepted President Truong Tan Sang's invitation to visit Vietnam at a time convenient for both sides.

According to (VNA) - LT