On the evening of December 4, the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to commemorate the 68th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Indonesia diplomatic relations and the 10th founding anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Vietnamese and Indonesian delegates at the ceremony (Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee website).

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan emphasized that Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian nation to set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1955. Traditional friendship - the solid basis of the two countries' relationship in modern times was laid by two great patriots, outstanding leaders of Vietnam and Indonesia, President Ho Chi Minh and President Soekarno. This relationship has been growing stronger and deeper both bilaterally and multilaterally.

In 2013, Vietnam and Indonesia issued a Joint Declaration establishing a Strategic Partnership. Since then, such strategic partnership has been developing strongly, comprehensively, and firmly. Action programs have deepened bilateral cooperation in all fields of politics, diplomacy, defense, security, economics, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

Most recently, in September 2023, at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed to promote cooperation through bilateral cooperation mechanisms. This agreement motivates the Strategic Partnership to new heights, towards the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership shortly.

In 2023, many exciting activities between Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia were held. In September 2023, the delegation of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee had a business trip to Jakarta to promote cooperation with the Jakarta Special Zone in the coming time. The cooperation will focus on urban management and public transportation system development. The delegation also participated in the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS 2023) while in Jakarta.

On the other hand, the Indonesian Consulate General in the City coordinated with relevant agencies of the City to successfully organize many activities throughout the year. The goals are to promote economic cooperation, strengthen community cohesion, and create new opportunities and a vibrant and practical exchange space not only between Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City, but also between members of the ASEAN community, amid the volatile world and regional economic situation.

At the ceremony, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Vietnam Denny Abdi agreed that Indonesia and Vietnam are two neighboring countries with a long tradition of friendship. For 68 years of diplomatic relations, the two countries have achieved important achievements in bilateral cooperation and made impactful contributions to Southeast Asia.

According to the foreign diplomat, the bilateral trade has grown significantly, tripling over the past 10 years, reaching US $14.1 billion in 2022, exceeding the bilateral trade target of US $10 billion by 2023. At this rate, the two countries can reach the new target of US $15 billion by 2028 much sooner.

Also, Indonesian investment in Vietnam continues to grow, reaching more than US $645 million by June 2023 in many fields from manufacturing, furniture, and agriculture to logistics, real estate, and information technology. These investments have contributed to creating thousands of jobs, significantly contributing to the economic development process in Vietnam.

Ambassador Denny Abdi stressed that the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will make every effort to fulfill its mission of being a bridge between the two peoples, exploring opportunities for economic, socio-cultural, and people-to-people diplomacy cooperation for the common benefit of both countries.

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