(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam always treasures and wants to boost its strategic partnership with Indonesia and the two countries should maintain the current trade growth to raise bilateral trade to 15 billion USD or higher before 2028, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said during a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
 PM Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 9, 2023. |
Mr. Chinh, who arrived in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, earlier the same day for the 42nd ASEAN Summit, proposed that Indonesia create optimal conditions for Vietnamese goods to access its market and enhance maritime cooperation, including the establishment of a hotline to support fishing activities and sharing information about law enforcement at sea.
President Widodo stated Indonesia always attaches great importance to and hopes to further strengthen the strategic partnership with Vietnam.
The two leaders also agreed to bolster ties in new areas such as energy transition, digital transformation, and infrastructure development.
PM Chinh said Vietnam will continue cooperating with and supporting Indonesia to successfully hold the 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship.
The two reaffirmed their support for maintaining ASEAN’s solidarity, centrality, and common stance on the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and pushing up negotiations to soon achieve an efficient and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
 PM Pham Minh Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Hunsen. (Photo: VNA) |
During a meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit, PM Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Hunsen agreed to effectively implement the signed agreements and connect the two economies in order to help each other develop an independent and self-reliant economy with extensive, substantive, and effective international integration, particularly amid the narrowing global market.
They pledged to provide more favorable conditions for Vietnamese and Cambodian enterprises to boost investment and business partnerships, especially in cross-border trade, economic development in border areas, and education and training.
Both sides also agreed to coordinate closely and effectively to help build a united, strong, and prosperous ASEAN Community.