Vietnam, Indonesia Bilateral Relations to Witness New, Important Progress

Since the establishment of the diplomatic relation on December 30, 1955, the relation between Vietnam and Indonesia until now keeps on getting better both in bilateral, regional fora such as ASEAN and also international fora.

 

The remark was made mid December 2010 in a statement by H.E Mr. Pitono Purnomo, Ambassador of Indonesia to Vietnam, on the occasion of the 55^th Anniversary of the Indonesia - Vietnam relationship.

 

Good results and bright prospects of the bilateral relations are clearly shown via a wide range of cooperation fields such as politics and security, economics, and society and culture.

So far, there is no crucial issue that threatens the relation of the two countries. Based on their foreign policies principals, both countries consistently support each other’s territory integrity. Both countries also support each other for candidacy in regional and international bodies, reciprocally or based on friendship and cooperation for the effort in order to solve international and regional issues.

 

Vietnam and Indonesia signed some agreements, MoUs and other arrangements, especially the Agreement of Continental Shelf RI-Vietnam on June 26, 2003 which was ratified on May 2007 and the Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Partnership Entering the 21^st Century, on the visit of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to Hanoi in June 2003.

 

According to Mr. Pitono, in 2010, the visits and meetings between the government officials, businesses and other stakeholders are rising. The most important mutual visits between the government’s leaders and parliaments recently include the Chairman of People’s Representatives Chamber, for AIPA-ASEAN Meeting on April 2010 and attending the 31^st AIPA general assembly on September, the Indonesian President on the occasion of the State visit and attending the 17^th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in October, and others.

 

On the sidelines of the 16^th ASEAN Summit, April 2010, Indonesia’s President had a bilateral meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister, where the President delivered the importance to raise trade and investment values to celebrate the 55^th years of diplomatic relation between the two countries. The President also supported the development of cooperation in fisheries, coordinated patrol, the completion of Indonesia-Vietnam exclusive economic zone (EEZ) talk, and also support to Vietnam as the Chairman of ASEAN, including the participation on G-20, 2010. Reciprocally, Vietnam has also supported the exchange of ASEAN Chairmanship turn between Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam in 2011, which Indonesia’s turn was originally in 2013 and switched with Brunei Darussalam’s turn.

 

Indonesia and Vietnam started the technical meeting of EEz talks by two round meeting in Hanoi, May 2010 and Bali, October 2010. The meeting will be held once in every four months. Leaders of the two countries shared the same perspective that the EEZ talks between Vietnam and Indonesia will boost the settlement of marine and fisheries problems peacefully.

The bilateral relations of the two countries have shown upward trends in multi-faceted fields over the past few years. The bilateral trade volume showed an upward trend at US$2.5 billion and there are 23 Indonesian-invested projects in Vietnam with a total investment capital of around US$203 million. However, the real value of Indonesia’s investment to Vietnam is more than US$2 billion due to a number of projects which are being registered in a third country.   

 

The trade value between the two countries, which was recorded at US$2.28 billion by the end of 2009, was surpassed by the trade value of US$2.3 billion in the first ten months of 2010. The export of Indonesia to Vietnam in the period of 2004 and 2009 was recorded at 30% increase while the trend of Indonesia’s import from Vietnam in the same period was rising by 21%.

 

Indonesia’s trade surplus with Vietnam will continue to rise. Indonesia’s trade surplus in 2008, 2009 and the first 10 months of 2010 respectively was US$937 million, US$762 million and US$413 milliion.

 

“We note that Vietnam is the 18^th major trading partner for Indonesia, in both terms of export and import. These figures, I believe do not reflect the enormous potentials our two countries can offer to our businesses. Although the total bilateral trade is relatively good, there still exists potential for development. Overall, there is plenty of room for us to be even better in our trade and investment relations,” remarked Mr. Pitono.

During 2010, Indonesian Embassy followed closely the media’s news about Indonesia and Indonesia-Vietnam bilateral relations. The news about Indonesia in Vietnam is increasing on 2010 and it is positive development. Indonesian Embassy cooperated with Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism on hosting the exchange visit of 04 Vietnam’s journalists to visit Indonesia and 04 Indonesian journalists to Vietnam in 2010.

 

Indonesian Embassy has decided since 2010 to give an award to the media named the Indonesian Embassy’s Media Award, which has made great contributions to the embassy in implementing its missions to promoting Indonesia in Vietnam, as well as to further promoting closer and friendly relations between the two countries.

 

The ambassador affirmed that the number of Vietnam’s tourists to Indonesia is increasing significantly, as well as Indonesia tourists to Vietnam.

 

One our priority in 2011 is the signing of Plan of Action to boost the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, according to the Indonesian Ambassador. The two sides will continue the EEZ meeting and the implementation of the MoU on Marine and Fisheries and MoU on Defense Officials Cooperation and other previous MoUs.

 

According to the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam, to boost economic relations, particularly in trade sector, the two sides will conduct more effective trade promotion cooperation such as trade mission, trade fairs, and business meetings, meetings between officials and public sectors/businesses, and cooperation between businesses and chambers of commerce.

 

The embassy will continue efforts to promote Indonesia’s image in Vietnam via the local media and increase the numbers of tourists to visit each other. 

“Vietnam’s chairmanship of ASEAN has made our association stronger, and brought us closer, to our common goal of an ASEAN Community. It is great honor for Indonesia to take-up the baton from Vietnam, as the next Chairman of ASEAN. We do so with great pride over what ASEAN has achieved over the years, and with great optimism of what the future holds for ASEAN,” stated the Ambassador. He hopes that Vietnam could render its valuable support for Indonesia as ASEAN’s Chair in 2011.       

 

Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2011 will bear the theme: “ASEAN Community, in a Global Community of Nations.” The theme anticipates the successful attainment of ASEAN Community in 2015. With ASEAN Community thus achieved, there arises corresponding responsibilities for ASEAN, noted the Ambassador.

 
Nam Pham