Vietnam-Indonesia ties grow on firm foundations: Ambassador

Jakarta (VNA) – The Vietnam-Indonesia traditional friendship, founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno and nurtured by many generations of leaders of the two countries, is growing strongly on firm foundations, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong has said.

Meeting with reporters of local and international press agencies in Jakarta on December 6 ahead of the New Year 2023, the diplomat affirmed that the Government and people of Vietnam never forget the consistent support and valuable assistance given by their Indonesian counterparts to Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and international integration process in the past as well as in the present cause of national development.

Thong underlined that despite ups and downs in history, Vietnam and Indonesia have always given each other mutual support, coordination, and  close, comprehensive and trustworthy cooperation. The establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership in 2013 laid a foundation and created an important motivation for the development of the bilateral ties in all fields, he said.

The ambassador held that the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship has never been as strong as it is today in the political field with frequent high-level meetings and visits by the two countries' senior leaders, with the most recent being the phone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joko Widodo, and the meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in early November.

After the COVID-19 pandemic was put under control in both Vietnam and Indonesia, direct air routes between the two countries have been resumed, facilitating the travel and promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, he said.

Thong underlined that trade between the two countries has grown rapidly, reaching 11 billion USD in 2021, surpassing the set target of 10 billion USD. Vietnam is one of the biggest trade partners of Indonesia. Recently, the two sides have set a new goal of 15 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2028.

In terms of education, he said that the Vietnamese Embassy will work hard to bring Vietnamese students back to Indonesia for study after COVID-19, considering it as a way to foster mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

Announcing that Vietnam and Indonesia will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership next year, Thong said he hoped journalists will contribute their ideas on celebration activities and cover this important event.

The diplomat also affirmed the important role of press agencies in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations' people, and pledged to make every effort to contribute to strengthening the relationship between the two countries and deepening people-to-people exchanges./.