The top legislator will attend the 44th GeneralAssembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-44) and make official visitsto Indonesia and Iran from August 4 to 10.
The activities are made at the invitations ofSpeaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives and AIPA President PuanMaharani; and Speaker of the Iranian Consultative Assembly Mohammad BaqerQalibaf.
Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian nation withwhich Vietnam established diplomatic ties. Their traditional friendship has been built on the foundation created by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno,and promoted by generations of leaders and people of the two countries.
Since 1990, the two sides have maintained theexchange of visits between high-ranking State, Government and legislaturedelegations, as well as those of ministries, agencies and businesses, and culturalexchanges.
On the occasion of the visit to Vietnam byIndonesian President Megawati in June 2003, the two countries signed a jointstatement on the framework for friendly, comprehensive cooperation in the 21st century, and an agreement on the demarcation of the boundaries of thecontinental shelf.
The two sides issued a joint statement onstrengthening the relationship, towards a strategic partnership on the occasionof the official visit to Indonesia by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung inSeptember 2011.
The establishment of the strategic partnership inJune 2013 on the occasion of the State visit to Indonesia by President TruongTan Sang has been seen as a milestone in the bilateral diplomatic ties. Sincethen, the strategic partnership has been growing comprehensively and firmly.
The first official visit to Indonesia by PartyGeneral Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017 opened up a new page for therelationship, making it more intensive and comprehensive.
President Joko Widodo visited Vietnam for the firsttime in September 2017 as part of his trip to the country for the WorldEconomic Forum on ASEAN, helping deepen the strategic partnership.
At the same time, they have maintained closecoordination and shared viewpoints on many issues of strategic importance atinternational forums.
According to former Indonesian Ambassador to VietnamIbnu Hadi, the two-way trade has been growing impressively.
Indonesia is Vietnam’s third largest trade partnerin Southeast Asia, while Vietnam ranks fourth from the Indonesian side, withbilateral trade revenue reaching 14.1 billion USD last year, and 6.73 billionUSD in the first half of this year. The figure is expected to rise to 15billion USD in 2028.
Vietnam mainly exports computers, electronicproducts, various types of iron and steel, textile-garment products, plastics, and mobile phones and components to Indonesia, while importing coal, vegetable oil,automobile, and iron and steel from the country.
As of June 20, 2022, Indonesia poured 645.8 millionUSD in 113 projects in Vietnam, focusing on processing, manufacturing, and lodgingand catering services.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong suggestedthe two countries optimise new opportunities and tighten their cooperation toturn challenges into opportunities, and competition pressure into momentum togrow further, while working to complete the legal framework for their collaboration.
The two countries should consider collaboration in fisheriesand aquaculture in which both have potential and cooperation in technologytransformation, Hadi said.
Cooperation in other fields like education, culture,agriculture, energy, and justice has also been consolidated through specific,result-oriented agreements, and memoranda of understanding.
Regarding legislative ties, the Vietnamese NA andthe Indonesian House of Representatives reached a cooperation agreement inMarch 2010.
At a reception for Ambassador Abdi on June 29, 2023,Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha affirmed that theVietnamese legislature wishes for more intensive, practical strategic partnershipbetween the two countries through cooperation with Indonesian legislativeagencies.
Ha said the Vietnamese NA wishes to enhance theexchange of information and experience with the Indonesian parliament in lawbuilding and supervision.
For his part, Abdi suggested the two legislaturesstep up all-level delegation exchanges to tighten their cooperation,contributing to deepening the relationship between the two countries in a practicaland effective manner./.