President of State to Visit Indonesia in the Coming Week

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is set to lead a high-ranking delegation from Vietnam on a State visit to Indonesia from December 21 to 23. This visit comes at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as reported by VNA.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VNA

This visit holds significance as it marks the first state visit by Vietnam’s president to Indonesia in 9 years, and coincides with both countries’ anticipation of celebrating the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

During the visit, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to engage in talks with the Indonesian President, meet with leaders of the Indonesian National Assembly, hold discussions with the ASEAN Secretary-General, and meet with representatives of prominent Indonesian enterprises.

Additionally, President Phuc will visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia and engage with the Vietnamese community residing in the host country.

Indonesia was the first country in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and remains its sole strategic partner in the region.

Speaking to VNA’s correspondent in Jakarta prior to President Phuc’s state visit, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, Vice Chairwoman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), emphasized the historically strong bilateral ties and numerous economic collaborations between the two countries.

Kadin, as the umbrella organization of businesses in Indonesia, has facilitated various business forums and delegations between the two countries.

With bilateral trade reaching a record USD 11.5 billion in 2021, Kamdani expressed confidence in surpassing the target of USD 15 billion by 2028, highlighting the need to optimize trade opportunities between Vietnam and Indonesia as part of their ASEAN membership.

Notably, the two leaders have concrete goals and are action-oriented, focusing on specific sectors for partnership and cooperation beyond general trade.

According to the Chair of B20 Indonesia, there are opportunities for cooperation in areas such as halal products, fisheries, renewable energy, and infrastructure development. The digital transformation underway in both countries also presents significant opportunities for collaboration in the tech sector.

Naval officers of Vietnam and Indonesia pose for a joint photo at the exercise opening ceremony on August 30. Photo: VNA

Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of collaboration in capacity building and learning from each other to maximize the potential and similarities between the two countries’ businesses.