Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has had a chance to sit down with the leader of the Republic of Indonesia over several matters concerning the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship as part of the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in Sunnylands, California, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The ASEAN-U.S. Summit, chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, marks a significant milestone in the development of the ASEAN Community as the first summit convened with its partner nation since its establishment last year.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a 10-member organization, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

During their meeting at the summit, which is scheduled for February 15-16, the two leaders expressed mutual contentment with the success of last year’s activities welcoming the 60^th year of bilateral diplomatic relations, serving to strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the two governments and their people.

The Vietnamese premier and President Joko Widodo agreed to maintain high-level bilateral meetings and visits over the coming years to further enhance the depth of their strategic partnership.

In economic terms, the two parties saw eye to eye on matters such as encouraging investment, diversifying trade products, and cooperation in resolving maritime conflicts.

The two leaders also reached an agreement on improving national security collaboration by accelerating the signing of bilateral patrol agreements, offering assistance in regional counter-terrorism practices, opening a hotline between the two countries’ customs bodies, and introducing mechanisms for policy dialogue to maintain regional peace, security, and stability.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, Premier Dung and President Widodo also discussed international and regional issues affecting both nations.

The central role of ASEAN in major issues concerning national and regional security and benefits was also addressed at the meeting.

On this special occasion, President Widodo announced his plan to extend a visit to Vietnam in the near future.

Prime Minister Dung and President Widodo also re-affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, order, security, and maritime-aviation safety and freedom in the East Vietnam Sea, pursuant to the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), urging the signing of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the sea as well as resolving maritime conflicts in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on Law of the Sea.