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Updated : 11:00 AM, 21/02/2006

Vietnam, Indonesia aim for all-round co-operation development

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's visit to Indonesia takes place at a time when the friendly and multi-faceted cooperative ties between Vietnam and Indonesia have seen fine developments. During the visit, the two sides will concretise the implementation of the "Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Cooperation Entering the 21st Century" and seek measures to boost multi-faceted co-operation for mutual benefit.

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai began his first official visit to Indonesia from February 22-24 at the invitation of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno. The visit takes place at a time when the friendly and multi-faceted cooperative ties between Vietnam and Indonesia have seen fine developments.

During the visit, the two sides will concretise the implementation of the "Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Cooperation Entering the 21st Century" and seek measures to boost multi-faceted co-operation for mutual benefit, especially in the areas of economics, trade and investment to match up to the fine political relations between the two countries.

The two countries signed the "Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Cooperation Entering the 21st Century" during President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s visit to Vietnam in June 2003. The framework is considered an important legal foundation for further promoting all-round cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia.

During President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno’s visit to Vietnam in May 2005, the two countries agreed to turn bilateral relations into strategic partnership in the region. President Susilo affirmed that Indonesia wants its ties with Vietnam to become "an important pillar" of relationship in Southeast Asia.

The Foreign Ministries of Vietnam and Indonesia held their first Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) on August 13-14, 2005, to issue a memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultation.

They discussed the establishment of a ministerial-level consultative mechanism for strategic issues and agreed to accelerate discussions for the signing of a Plan of Action as early as possible to implement the "Declaration on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Cooperation Entering the 21st Century" and other agreements reached by senior leaders of the two countries.

Vietnam and Indonesia organised many activities in their capital cities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in December 2005.

The two countries have regularly coordinated in regional organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum and the East Asian Forum.

Commercial cooperation between the two countries has gained considerable achievements. The two-way trade value recorded US$1.1 billion in 2004 and US$1.2 billion over the first 11 months of last year. Indonesia imported 110,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam in early 2006. Major Indonesian export products to Vietnam include chemical products, garment and textile materials, and equipment.

A joint committee between Vietnam and Indonesia was set up in 1990 and a Business Forum was organised in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2005.

Indonesian investment in Vietnam focuses on such areas as services, industry and construction. Up to last year, Indonesia invested in 13 projects with a total registered capital of US$130 million. The figure brought Indonesia to 26th place among a total of 69 international investors in Vietnam.

Cooperation in other fields between Vietnam and Indonesia has seen progress, including security, military, agriculture, fishery, culture, education and sports. The Memorandums of Understanding on crime prevention and educational co-operation were signed between the two countries during the official visit to Vietnam by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2005.

During this visit, the two sides agreed to develop bilateral relations into important strategic partnership of each other in the region. President Susilo stressed that Indonesia wants its relations with Vietnam to be a pivotal pillar of the country’s relationship in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam believes that Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s upcoming visit to Indonesia will be a great success, creating new developments in the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership.

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