Welcoming his guest in Hanoi on Friday, Chinh said Widodo’s state visit to Vietnam holds special significance and will create new momentum for bilateral ties after over 10 years of the strategic partnership and ahead of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations in 2025.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meet in Hanoi on Jan. 12, 2024.

Widodo affirmed that Vietnam is a partner of strategic importance of Indonesia in the region.

Both leaders shared the view that the strategic trust between their countries has been increasingly reinforced via frequent high-level mutual visits and meetings. The bilateral cooperation in such fields as security - defense, maritime affairs, agriculture, fisheries, education - training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges has recorded a number of positive results.

Economic and trade cooperation is a bright spot of the bilateral relations. Indonesia registered over US$1 billion in investment in Vietnam during January - November 2023, up 37% year on year. It is the third largest ASEAN trading partner of Vietnam, which in turn ranks fourth among trading partners of the former in the region, with bilateral trade approximating $13 billion in the 11 months, statistics showed.

To create a new impetus for the bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to consider lifting the Vietnam - Indonesia strategic partnership to a new level.

They agreed to continue increasing delegation exchanges and meetings at all levels, effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms and signed high-level agreements and documents, and soon build an action plan for 2024 - 2028 that suits the new context.

They also concurred in working together to raise the bilateral trade to $15 billion and even $18 billion by 2028, facilitate and encourage the two countries’ businesses to invest in each other’s markets, and expand cooperation to new areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, green economy, renewable energy, and electric vehicle (EV) and EV battery ecosystem.

The two sides will also expand cooperation programmes within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), enhance ties in the Halal industry, boost connections in ensuring food security, and promote the signing of a deal on rice trading.

Chinh and Widodo affirmed that Vietnam and Indonesia will foster ties in other important fields like defense, security, maritime affairs, the settlement of common sea-related challenges, fisheries, and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The two countries will also step up education - training cooperation, increase direct commercial flights, and promote people-to-people exchanges and locality-to-locality cooperation.

At the meeting, the two leaders also discussed some regional issues of shared concern. They agreed to continue the coordination with and support for each other at multilateral organizations; enhance collaboration to strengthen ASEAN’s solidarity, centrality, and common viewpoint on regional security issues, including the East Sea matter; and support Laos to fulfill the role of the ASEAN Chair in 2024.

PMChinh invited Indonesia to send senior representatives to and support Vietnam to successfully host the ASEAN Future Forum on fast, sustainable, and people-centred development in 2024 to help build a resilient and sustainable ASEAN community.

Bac Giang inks cooperation agreements with 5 partners on welfare programmes for labourers

BAC GIANG- The Provincial Confederation of Labour has signed cooperation agreements on social welfare programmes for trade union members and labourers with 5 partners in Hanoi including Bell Duc Company Limited, Hogi Group International Trade Joint Stock Company, Minh Phuc ASIA Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Tre Viet Clinic belonging to Hai Nam Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Join Stock Company and Vietnam Association of Household Ceramics.

Vietnamese, Lao PMs co-chair bilateral investment cooperation conference in Hanoi

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone co-chaired a Vietnam-Laos investment cooperation conference in Hanoi on Sunday, as part of the latter's ongoing visit to Vietnam.

Strategic cooperation in training human resources for the semiconductor IC industry

SUN EDU International Education Joint Stock Company and Thu Dau Mot University (in Binh Duong Province) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on strategic cooperation for the development of high-quality human resources in the field of electronics and semiconductor integrated circuits (IC) in the Southeast region, at a ceremony held in Binh Duong Province on December 26.

BAFU inks training cooperation agreement with Hiroshima University (Japan)

BAC GIANG - Bac Giang Agriculture and Forestry University (BAFU) and Hiroshima University (Japan) have just signed a cooperation agreement on university and postgraduate training from January 2024 to the end of 2029.

Vietnam pledges to join efforts in promoting Mekong - Lancang cooperation

The Vietnamese Government always attaches importance to the Mekong - Lancang Cooperation (MLC) and will continue joining hands with China and other Mekong countries to promote the strong, effective, and sustainable development of this cooperation mechanism, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Source: VnExpress