Indonesian President’s State visit to help deepen strategic partnership
The state visit to Vietnam by Indonesian President Joko Widodo from January 11-13 will be an opportunity for the two countries to discuss measures to deepen their strategic partnership and tighten their traditional friendship nurtured over the past nearly 70 years, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong.
Talking to Vietnam News Agency reporters in Jakarta, Thong said that this will be the second state visit to Vietnam by the President, after the first in September 2018.
The diplomat said that during this visit, the two sides can exchange views on fields of shared concern such as promoting trade and investment, and cooperating in energy transition and development of green and digital economy, electric vehicle manufacturing, and hi-tech agriculture.
As the world situation is experiencing big developments in terms of geopolitics, security and economics, the two sides will have many issues to be discussed to boost cooperation and coordination at regional and international forums, said Thong.
Together with fine political relations, bilateral trade cooperation has enjoyed impressive growth in recent years, increasing from US$8.2 billion in 2020 to US$14.17 billion in 2022.
Last year, Indonesia became Vietnam’s third biggest export market, and second largest import market in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Regarding the target of US$15 billion in two-way trade by 2028, the diplomat said that the goal is reachable.
To that end, the two countries are coordinating to soon organise their eighth economic and trade joint committee, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Government has issued a strategy to develop the Halal industry to boost exports to Muslim markets, including Indonesia.
As both Vietnam and Indonesia have made strong commitments to cutting carbon emissions, demonstrating their responsibility in contributing to the global effort to respond to climate change, they can cooperate closely in the fields of energy transition, carbon storage, development of renewable and green energies, and sustainable green economic development.
It is necessary to consider the signing of a new agricultural cooperation agreement to carry out specific collaboration projects to increase farmers' livelihoods, ensure food security and promote trade and economic development of each country, said Thong.
Regarding aquatic products and fisheries, the two sides can continue to promote recent exchanges on commodity groups such as lobster, tuna, and seaweed. The can also strengthen cooperation between businesses, associations and fishermen to develop fisheries in a sustainable way.
Tourism is also a promising field to promote collaboration between the two countries, he said. The resumption of direct flights after a period of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the opening of new Ho Chi Minh City – Jakarta and Hanoi – Jakarta routes by the Vietnamese budget carrier, Vietjet, are favourable conditions for the two sides to cooperate in developing specific tourism products, connecting destinations, and creating new products in a green and sustainable direction, he assessed.
According to the diplomat, the traditional and trusted friendship is a solid foundation for the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership to look toward the future, and become more substantive and effective in all fields, and the two countries still have huge potential to be tapped and a lot of advantages to supplement each other.
