Vietnam and Indonesia have officially upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking a significant milestone that opens new opportunities for expanded bilateral cooperation and making Vietnam the first ASEAN member to establish such a partnership with Indonesia.

The elevation of their ties was announced during talks between Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Monday, as part of Lam’s state visit to Indonesia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Vietnam is proud to have a comprehensive strategic partner in Indonesia, and I believe everyone here feels the same,” Party leader Lam stated at a joint press conference after their meeting.

Both leaders highlighted the historic significance of Vietnam being the first ASEAN country to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with Indonesia.

They affirmed that this milestone ushers in a new era of deeper and greater cooperation, benefiting both nations while contributing to ASEAN’s peace, stability, and prosperity.

During their earlier talks, President Prabowo highlighted the special timing of the Vietnamese leader's visit, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Vietnam-Indonesia diplomatic relations, making the visit even more significant in reinforcing bilateral ties.

Party chief Lam thanked President Prabowo for his deep sentiments toward Vietnam and its people. Lam reiterated Vietnam’s high regard for its relationship with Indonesia, recognizing Jakarta’s vital role in the region. 

He expressed confidence in Indonesia’s continued economic success, predicting that the country would achieve eight percent annual growth and become a developed nation by 2045. Lam also shared updates on Vietnam’s development and its efforts to enter a new phase of national growth.

With the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership, Lam and Prabowo agreed to strengthen political trust and cooperation across all sectors. They were committed to developing an action plan to effectively implement this upgraded partnership and maximize its benefits.

In defense and security, the two countries pledged to bolster cooperation, particularly in combating transnational crimes such as online fraud, human trafficking, forced labor, and terrorism.

Economically, the leaders vowed to deepen trade and investment ties, fostering greater connectivity between their economies. To facilitate this, both sides agreed to remove trade barriers, support businesses in import-export activities – especially in agriculture and fisheries – and strive to reach a bilateral trade target of US$18 billion soon.

Both countries were also committed to encouraging investments, particularly in emerging fields such as the digital economy, green economy, energy transition, electric vehicle ecosystems, e-commerce, smart delivery services, digital payments, software design, AI-driven technology solutions, and halal-certified products.

President Prabowo welcomed the expansion of major Vietnamese enterprises, including conglomerate Vingroup and dairy producer TH True Milk, in Indonesia and expressed hope that they would continue investing in sectors such as agriculture and food security.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in specialized fields, including science and technology, innovation, and information technology. They also aimed to establish strong partnerships in digital transformation, green growth, and economic innovation.

Regarding regional and international issues, both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Vietnam Sea, according to the Vietnam News Agency. 

They reaffirmed their commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means, avoiding the threat or use of force, and adhering to international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Vietnam and Indonesia also called for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea and for the expedited negotiation of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct for the same waters, in accordance with international law, particularly the UNCLOS 1982.

On this occasion, Lam invited Prabowo to visit Vietnam and attend the fourth Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in Hanoi in April. The Indonesian leader gladly accepted the invitation and expressed his eagerness to visit Vietnam again soon.

Following their discussions, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation agreements between their countries. 

Indonesia is currently Vietnam's second-largest trading partner within ASEAN, while Vietnam ranks as Indonesia’s fourth-largest trading partner in the region. In 2024, total trade turnover between the two nations reached $16.7 billion, marking a 21.6-percent year-on-year increase.

Both countries are members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), alongside Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

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