Vietnam is partner of strategic importance to Indonesia in Southeast Asia

Maharani welcomed Hue’s visit which she said is taking place at a time when the two countries are celebrating 10 years of their Strategic Partnership (2013-2023), making an important contribution to the development of the traditional friendship and strategic partnership, including parliamentary cooperation, between the two countries.

Hue for his part congratulated the Indonesian House of Representatives on successfully organizing the G-20 Parliamentary Forum (P20), and expressed his belief that Indonesia would successfully assume the role of ASEAN Chair 2023 and AIPA Chair 2023.

Vietnam attaches great importance to the development of the strategic partnership with Indonesia based on the traditional friendship built and nurtured by late President Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam and President Soekarno of Indonesia, as well as generations of leaders and people of the two countries, he assured his host.

The two leaders agreed on major directions to further promote bilateral relations in the coming time, including celebrating 10 years of their Strategic Partnership this year and looking forward to 70 years of their diplomatic relations in 2025. Accordingly, the two sides will increase visit exchanges at all levels, people-to-people exchanges, parliamentary cooperation and cooperation between their localities.

The two sides agreed to strive to raise their two-way trade turnover to more than US$15 billion in the coming time and towards a more balanced direction. They vowed to facilitate trade, reduce trade barriers, promote the development of a new strategic supply chain, and take advantage of their potential and strengths.

Hue suggested that Indonesia open the market for Vietnamese agricultural products, especially Halal foods and fruits such as litchi and longan, while continuing to facilitate and encourage Vietnamese enterprises to operate in Indonesia.

The two sides consented to step up measures to create favourable conditions for businesses of the two countries to diversify fields of investment and business cooperation. They stressed the need to share experiences in legislative work, creating a legal corridor for the two countries to cooperate closely in the current global fields, especially in just energy transition and safe digital transformation.

The two leaders were also adamant that Vietnam and Indonesia would ramp up cooperation in other important fields, including culture, education, tourism, people-to-people exchanges; enhance connectivity through increased frequency of direct commercial flights; and open a direct air route from Hanoi to Jakarta.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen maritime and fisheries cooperation, and at the same time promote the settlement of issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues in the context of complicated and unpredictable developments, both host and guest agreed to continue to strengthen consultation and close coordination between the two countries at regional and international forums, such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).

They voiced their strong support for ASEAN’s solidarity and central role, as well as their positions on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, safety, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea). They emphasized the need to maintain the solidarity and common stance of ASEAN in the East Sea issue, promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and closely coordinate in effective and efficient negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the regional waters in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Hue respectfully invited Maharani to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time, and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

On this occasion, Maharani said Indonesia would send a delegation to attend the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians to be hosted by the National Assembly of Vietnam in September 2023.

After the talks, the two leaders signed a memorandum ò understanding on cooperation between the two legislative bodies.

Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is in Jakarta for an official visit to Indonesia where he is also scheduled to attend the 44th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA – 44).