President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived back in Hanoi on December 23 afternoon, wrapping up a State visit to Indonesia at the invitation of President Joko Widodo. During the trip, the Vietnamese leader held talks with his counterpart Joko Widodo, had meetings with parliamentary leaders of Indonesia, attended a state-level banquet hosted by the host President, met with representatives of the Vietnamese community, visited the Jakarta-based Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and met with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi.
He also received leaders of the Indonesia-Vietnam Friendship Association, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), and some of the large enterprises of the archipelago nation.
The visit was an important milestone in the countries' strategic partnership as Presidents Phuc and Widodo agreed that Vietnam and Indonesia will soon build an action plan for 2024 - 2028; strive to develop more balanced trade and raise revenue to over 15 billion USD by 2028; step up mutual investment in new fields such as the digital economy, digital transformation, green economy, and renewable energy; and enhance ties in defence, security, education-training, and tourism.
They also witnessed the signing and exchange of cooperation documents on drug trafficking prevention, energy, and mineral resources.
Talking to the media after their meetings, the two leaders said Vietnam and Indonesia have completed negotiations on the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Visiting the ASEAN Secretariat’s headquarters and meeting the ASEAN Secretary-General as well as diplomats of the bloc’s member nations there, President Phuc stressed Vietnam attaches special importance to the relationship with ASEAN in its foreign policy, and that it will make active contributions to build a united and strong ASEAN and promote the bloc’s centrality in the regional architecture.
The visit’s outcomes are expected to serve as an important stepping stone for Vietnam and Indonesia to obtain more positive cooperation results on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2023, and develop bilateral ties in an increasingly substantive, intensive, and extensive manner in the following years./.
VNA