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Indonesia and Vietnam relations: True partners in development
Indonesia and Vietnam must further integrate as part of the global supply chain of the maritime economy so that we can become the leading suppliers of fisheries products to the world.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) ahead of the ASEAN leaders' summit at the Bogor Palace in West Java on April 23, 2021. (Handout/Lukas/Indonesian Presidential Palace via Reuters)
For us Indonesians, the month of August is always special. On Wednesday we celebrated the 77th anniversary of our declaration of independence, which we achieved through blood, sweat and tears.
This fighting spirit has inspired our nation's journey for the past 77 years and has become more relevant now that we are trying to emerge from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
The theme for this year's celebrations is “Pulih Lebih Cepat, Bangkit Lebih Kuat” (Recover Faster, Rise Stronger). It also reflects the spirit of "Recover Together, Recover Stronger" that Indonesia has chosen for its Group of 20 presidency.
We are now at a time of numerous challenges. While we have yet to recover from the pandemic, the world is facing multidimensional setbacks with deepening rivalries between great powers, worsening environmental issues and climate change, and ongoing conflicts in some parts of the world. These will undoubtedly impact humanity and cause food, energy and financial crises.
That is why every country must immediately come together to prevent these crises from worsening. Partnership must be enhanced so that no one is left behind. Only by working together can we face future challenges and build a peaceful, prosperous and safe world for our future generations.
Equal partnership has been central to Indonesia and Vietnam's relations for the past 67 years. Founded by our founding fathers, president Ho Chi Minh and president Sukarno, the long-lasting ties have been nurtured and expanded for the advancement of our countries, the prosperity of our peoples, and the peace and prosperity of the region.
Recently, Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son paid an official visit to Indonesia to co-chair the fourth Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi. The two ministers took stock of progress and pending matters and explored new cooperation opportunities. Both were pleased with the US$11.5 billion in total bilateral trade in 2021, exceeding the $10 billion target. In this regard, both sides welcome the new target of $15 billion by 2028.
