Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership bearing fruit, says ambassador
VOV.VN - The strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia has been developing strongly, comprehensively, and sustainably across various fields, from politics, diplomacy, defense, and security, to economy, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong has said.
Speaking to Jakarta-based VOV correspondents ahead of Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s working trip to Indonesia from October 19-21, Thong noted that Vietnam and Indonesia have treasured a long-standing traditional friendship for decades, through reciprocal visit exchanges between their top leaders. Notably, during President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to Indonesia in 2013, the two countries decided to elevate their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. Nine years later, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s state visit to Indonesia marked a historic milestone, as the two countries officially completed negotiations on the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones after 12 years.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also visited Indonesia three times in 2021 and 2023 as part of ASEAN Summit meetings.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo made two state visits to Vietnam in 2018 and 2024, while Prabowo Subianto also visited Vietnam in May 2022 as Minister of Defense and in September 2024 as the President-elect.
According to the diplomat, cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam – Indonesia Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation and the Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation provide important foundations for implementing specific cooperation initiatives.
A highlight of the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship is the robust growth in economic, trade, and investment ties. In ASEAN, Indonesia is Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner, while Vietnam is Indonesia’s fourth-largest trading partner. Despite the impact of COVID-19, bilateral trade has continued to grow positively, increasing from US$9 billion in 2019 to over US$14 billion in 2023.
Leading Vietnamese companies, such as VinFast (electric vehicle manufacturer), FPT (telecom company), Dien May Xanh (hypermarket), and TH (dairy company), have actively pursued investments in Indonesia.
People-to-people exchanges have also seen significant development, recovering strongly after COVID-19. Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air have opened numerous routes connecting major Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with major Indonesian destinations of Jakarta and Bali, resulting in promising growth in two-way tourism.
President-elect Prabowo Subianto will succeed President Joko Widodo in a swearing-in ceremony due to take place on October 20. Over the past decade, Widodo has led Indonesia to achieve remarkable milestones. Indonesia has maintained a trade surplus for 53 consecutive months despite challenging geopolitical and economic conditions, and its per capita GDP has reached a high average. It successfully served as the G20 president in 2022 and the ASEAN chair in 2023, enhancing the country’s role on the international stage.
“I am confident that the new President will continue to advance the positive development of Vietnam – Indonesia ties, aiming for the important milestone of celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations (1955-2025) and elevating the Vietnam-Indonesia Strategic Partnership to new heights, as agreed upon by the two countries’ top leaders,” said Ambassador Thong.
In his view, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan’s engagement in Prabowo’s inauguration ceremony not only reaffirms Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of valuing its traditional friendship and strategic partnership with Indonesia, but also helps promote solidarity among ASEAN countries.
On this occasion, the two sides are expected to discuss activities to commemorate 70 years of their diplomatic relations and to promote high-level leadership visits in 2025. They will also explore further measures to enhance cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, high-tech agriculture, cultural and educational exchanges, and tourism development.
