Jakarta (VNA) – Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s state visit to Indonesia will mark a new milestone inthe unique and old relationship between the two countrie𒉰s, Veeramalla Anjaiah, a senior researcher at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) in Indonesia, has said. 

Talking with the Vietnam NewsAgency (VNA)'s resident reporters in Jakarta ahead of PresidentPhuc’s visit to Indonesia from December 21-23, the researchersaid that in the fast changing world, both Indonesia and Vietnam are lookingfor new approaches and ways to deepen their cooperation and friendship toensure peace, stability and economic development in the region. Veeramalla, who isalso a senior journalist of the Jakarta Post and author of prestigious studies onregional issues emphasised, that: “The friendship betweenboth countries is solid and very old. They are not only very good old friends,maritime neighbours but also strategic partners. Vietnam is a trusted friend ofIndonesia.” According to the scholar, during the visit, IndonesianPresident Joko Widodo and President Phuc are scheduled to discuss the entire gamut ofbilateral relations, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation in the East Sea and several other regional as well as internationalissues. The two leaders will also discuss ways and means to boostbilateral trade and expand cooperation in many fields. They will discuss investment opportunities in both countries and ways to promotepeople-to-people links through tourism. They may also discuss the progress of bilateralnegotiations about exclusive economic zone (EEZ) boundary. They may alsodiscuss Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship. The two leaders will review the strategic partnership between thecountries, which will be 10 years-old next year, Veeramalla said, adding that he expected after the visit ofPresident Phuc, the strategic relations between the two countries will reach new heights. “I expect that both leaders will consider to enhancethe existing strategic partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership(CSP),” he said. According to the researcher, Indonesia-Vietnamrelations witnessed new development steps in recent time. Specifically, in July thisyear the foreign ministers of Vietnam and Indonesia attended the fourth meetingof the Joint Committee on Bilateral Cooperation in Jakarta and reviewed theprogress of Plan of Action for the 2019-2023 period for their strategic partnership.Both ministers agreed to expedite the finalization of the Plan of Action for 2024-2028 as a guidance for bilateral cooperation going forward to furthersolidify their partnership going forward further. The two countries set a new trade target of 15 billionby 2028. Indonesia and Vietnam have agreed to promote theexchange of delegations and contacts at all levels, reduce barriers in tradeand investment, signing at an early date of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)on bilateral rice cooperation for the next four years, remove obstacles tocreate favourable conditions for cooperation in fields of fisheries, hightechnology and digital economy.  

Both countries are eyeing partnership in areas likeagriculture, fisheries, energy, aviation, culture, education-training, tourismand electric vehicle ecosystem.

Indonesia and Vietnam signed the Defence Cooperation Agreement in 2010 and theDeclaration on Joint Vision on Defence Cooperation or Joint Vision Statementfor 2017-2022 in 2017. They are planning to stre꧅ngthen defence cooperation injoint production and capacity building between the defence industries of twocountrie🌼s.

The two countries are currently negotiating an MoU onCombating Illicit Narcotic Trafficking and an MoU on Counter-terrorism. Veeramalla emphaised that the close friendship among theleaders of both countries is the key to the relationship between Vietnam andIndonesia. Last year Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visitedIndonesia and held talks with President Widodo. In August 2022, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong held a telephone conversation with President Widodo. The Party chief proposed that both countries must cement their relations and deepeneconomic cooperation and cooperation in defence and security. In November 2022, PM Chinh had a bilateralmeeting with President Widodo on the sidelines of the 2022 ASEAN Summits in Phnom Penh.Then comes the visit of President Phuc to boost bilateral ties and economiccooperation. Talking about potential and opportunities for the twocountries’ cooperation in the coming time, Veeramalla said that with its 1.36trillion USD economy (GDP) and 280.77 million population and vast naturalresources, Indonesia is undoubtedly a promising and dynamic country.

Meanwhile, Vietnam with a population of over 99 million,is Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hub, a total trade turnover of 668.54billion USD in 2021 and is expected to reach 780 billion USD in 2022.

Vietnam has recorded an impressive GDP grow♛th duringthe fi🐽rst three quarters of this year despite of COVID-19 and the threat ofglobal recession.

Both countries have huge potential to cooperate witheach other in various areas such as agriculture, fisheries, energy, tourism,education, culture and defence. As both Indonesia and Vietnam are key players in theASEAN region, they have similar perceptions about achieving a common goal ofASEAN community and maintaining peace and security in the region, especially inthe East Sea.

He added that last year both countries agreed tomaintain ASEAN’s shared positions on the East Sea issue, effectively implement theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and earlyconclude negotiation on an efficient and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Both nations have si♍milar perceptions about various globalissues such as climate change, Russia-Ukraine conflict, peace, stability,inflation and work closely at various international organisations, the schol🃏ar added./.