Deepening Vietnam-Indonesia friendship

There is still much potential and room for Vietnam and Indonesia to continue to exploit to promote economic and trade cooperation as well as deepen the good friendship between the people of the two countries.

On March 27, in Hanoi , the Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Association (VIFA) under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) in coordination with the Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam organized the seminar "Vietnam-Indonesia towards 2045: Strengthening partnership, expanding cooperation and deepening friendship".

VIFA Chairman Tran Minh Hung delivered the opening speech at the seminar. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Realizing a shared vision

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At the seminar, Mr. Tran Minh Hung, Deputy General Director of Voice of Vietnam , Chairman of VIFA emphasized that Vietnam and Indonesia have a close and traditionally friendly relationship.

70 years ago, in 1955, Indonesia was the first country in Southeast Asia to officially establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. In 1959, President Ho Chi Minh visited Indonesia and President Sukarno visited Vietnam.

The two leaders of the two countries laid an important foundation so that since then, the friendly relationship between the two countries has always been maintained and increasingly strengthened, with remarkable developments in all fields, from politics, economics, defense to people-to-people exchange.

Mr. Tran Minh Hung affirmed that Vietnam is Indonesia's first comprehensive strategic partner in ASEAN. The two sides regularly exchange delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations.

In 2024 alone, two special high-level visits took place: the visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo in January 2024 and the visit of President-elect Prabowo Subianto in September 2024.

Scene of the Seminar. (Photo: Le An)

Most recently, on March 10, 2025, General Secretary To Lam paid a State visit to Indonesia. Based on the solid achievements, the two sides agreed to upgrade the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The high-level visits affirm the importance of the good traditional friendship between the two countries, towards the milestone of 70 years of establishing diplomatic relations in 2025.

In ASEAN, Indonesia is Vietnam's 3rd largest trading partner and Vietnam is Indonesia's 4th largest trading partner.

Bilateral trade is expected to exceed US$16 billion by the end of 2024, with exports from Vietnam to Indonesia estimated to reach more than US$6 billion, the highest level ever. Bilateral trade has quadrupled over the past 10 years.

Along with cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and people-to-people exchange, connections between localities of Vietnam and Indonesia are also enhanced with visits and travel between people.

On the momentum of developing cooperation between the two countries, the President of VIFA said that the seminar was organized to realize the direction of cooperation activities between the two sides, and at the same time update the latest information on the economic cooperation situation between Vietnam and Indonesia.

Speaking here, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi said that Indonesia and Vietnam are two developing countries, have many similarities, and share the same vision of becoming a developed country by 2045, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of each country's independence.

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi, speaking at the Dialogue. (Photo: Le An)

According to Ambassador Denny Abdi, to truly realize this common vision, all stakeholders need to encourage mutually beneficial cooperation, especially in the economic field.

Expressing deep gratitude to VIFA for its continuous contributions to strengthening the friendship between the two peoples through many programs and initiatives, the Ambassador said that the Embassy always supports and continues to accompany the programs organized by VIFA and VUFO.

Suggest new ways of doing things

At the seminar, delegates from the two countries exchanged and discussed the potential for economic cooperation between the two countries; proposed solutions to introduce and connect small and medium enterprises of the two countries, seek opportunities for cooperation and trade; and suggested ways to promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Sharing about the potential business cooperation opportunities in the field of agricultural processing between Vietnam and Indonesia, Ms. Nguyen Thi Quy Linh - founder and director of F&G Vietnam Food Co., Ltd., said that the two countries have many similarities in culture and natural conditions, and at the same time possess distinct strengths, promising to bring attractive and sustainable cooperation and investment opportunities.

Ms. Linh emphasized: "Vietnam and Indonesia need to cooperate to make the most of each other's advantages and develop together, succeed together in the large potential market segment - Muslim countries."

Mr. Le Phu Toan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of THT Investment Holdings Group, analyzed: “Vietnam and Indonesia both have young, tech-savvy populations and leading e-commerce growth rates in Southeast Asia. The governments of both countries are strongly committed to promoting national digital transformation.

Therefore, enhancing e-commerce cooperation between businesses of the two countries will create a new trading ecosystem - effective, transparent and sustainable".

Mr. Le Phu Toan believes that e-commerce and digital transformation are the "extended arms" to accelerate cooperation between Vietnamese and Indonesian enterprises.

If we know how to make good use of technology and coordinate closely, the two countries will not only expand the market for each business but also contribute to promoting the common development of the two economies.

Delegates attending the Seminar took a souvenir photo. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Discussing cultural exchange activities, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Van Thuy, Head of the Department of Global History, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, hopes that cultural festivals, art exhibitions and culinary introductions will be held more frequently and alternately in both countries, with different scales.

In addition, the exchange and cooperation between Vietnamese and Indonesian artists, filmmakers and cultural experts will promote the creativity of the two countries' art scene.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Van Thuy, applying technological advances such as online platforms, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is also an effective way to promote cultural exchange between the two countries.

In education, student exchange programs and joint research initiatives can foster a generation with a deep understanding of each other's cultures and societies.

“This deeper understanding not only strengthens bilateral relations but also contributes to building a more cohesive and prosperous ASEAN community – where cultural diversity is celebrated and shared values ​​are maintained. Investing in these socio-cultural bridges is investing in the region’s long-term stability and prosperity,” Mr. Thuy pointed out.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lam-sau-sac-hon-tinh-huu-nghi-viet-nam-indonesia-309058.html