Viet Nam, Indonesia strive for US$15 billion trade turnover
VGP - Viet Nam and Indonesia have agreed to double efforts to soon raise the two-way trade to at least US$15 billion through lifting trade barriers and facilitating trade in major goods, including Vietnamese rice.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo hold talks in Ha Noi on January 12, 2024 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The agreement was reached by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo during their summit meeting in Ha Noi on Friday.
President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia attaches importance to and hopes to cement and deepen the traditional friendship and cooperation with Viet Nam, which is Indonesia’s only strategic partner in ASEAN.
The two leaders expressed their satisfaction at the robust and dynamic developments in the Viet Nam-Indonesia strategic partnership, especially thanks to the effective implementation of the Action Plan on the implementation of the strategic partnership during 2019-2023.
Indonesia is Viet Nam's third largest trade partner in ASEAN, while Viet Nam is the fourth biggest partner of Indonesia. Despite the COVID-19, the two-way trade turnover grew positively, jumping from US$9 billion in 2019 to US$14.2 billion in 2023.
They agreed to strengthen political trust via exchanges of delegations and contacts at all levels and soon formulate an action plan on the implementation of the strategic partnership during 2024-2028 in accordance with new circumstances.
The pair underscored the necessity to further lift the strategic partnership to a new height and beef up cooperation in important areas, including national defense-security, maritime, experience sharing on cross-border crime prevention and security.
They also agreed to boost cooperation in agriculture, aquaculture, IT, education and training, culture, sports, tourism while opening new air routes.
Both sides agreed to step up cooperation in new and potential domains, namely smart finance, energy transition, digital transformation, innovation, development of electric vehicles and electric battery ecosystem.
President Vo Van Thuong took the occasion to suggest that Indonesia should create favorable ways for the entry of Vietnamese agricultural products and Viet Nam-originated Halal products and enable Indonesian businesses to expand footholds in Viet Nam.
He also proposed the two countries work closely to implement IUU regulations.
Regarding regional and international issues of common concerns, the two leaders agreed to continue strengthening consultations, close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums; promote solidarity and the central role of ASEAN; work with other ASEAN countries to support Laos in successfully assuming the role of ASEAN Chair in 2024.
They underlined the importance of safeguarding peace, stability, safety, security and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, promising to work together to maintain ASEAN's solidarity and common stance on the East Sea issue, fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and promoting the formulation of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Both Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo witness the signing ceremony of MoU, Ha Noi, January 12, 2024 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
After the talks, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Information and Communications Technology Cooperation and a MoU on Fisheries Cooperation./.
