President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia recognised Vietnam’s contribution to ASEAN during his reception of incoming Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Xuan Thuy, in Jakarta on June 8.

The Indonesian President, also current Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called for stronger cooperation between the two members to increase the bloc’s international prestige and fulfil its goal of building an ASEAN Community by 2015.

Yudhoyono made the call after expressing happiness at the recent fine development of relations between Indonesian and Vietnam, which he described as “traditional friendship and close cooperation”.

For his part, Thuy, who came to present credentials to the host country’s leader, lauded Indonesia’s achievements in the capacity of ASEAN Chair, on the road towards a comprehensive integration of the grouping by mid-decade.

He also pledged to fulfil his mission to contribute to closer cooperative relations between the two countries in the interests of a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous ASEAN./.