General Secretary To Lam visits Indonesia: Taking bilateral relations to a new level.

Today, General Secretary To Lam , his wife Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-level Vietnamese delegation are paying a state visit to Indonesia. The visit is being made at the invitation of the President of Indonesia and Chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Prabowo Subianto.

This visit is of historical significance in the relations between the two countries. General Secretary To Lam is the highest-ranking Party leader to visit Indonesia since the visit of our Party General Secretary in 2017.

The visit marks the beginning of a significant year for both Vietnam and Indonesia, as the two countries celebrate their 80th National Day and 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations (December 30, 1955 - December 30, 2025).

General Secretary To Lam and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Photo: Pham Hai

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi said that, in addition to the welcoming ceremonies of the State visit, the two sides plan to hold a meeting focusing on trade, investment, and business cooperation, with the direct participation of the General Secretary and the business communities of both sides, especially including Indonesian businesses that have been present in Vietnam for at least 30 years.

Both sides are hoping to upgrade bilateral relations to a new level. With current developments, both countries are ready to strengthen their relationship, contributing to the realization of their shared vision of becoming high-income nations by 2045.

Within ASEAN, Indonesia is currently Vietnam's second-largest trading partner, while Vietnam ranks fourth among Indonesia's major trading partners. Bilateral trade turnover has maintained continuous growth, from US$9 billion in 2019 to US$16.7 billion in 2024.

The leaders of the two countries agreed to soon increase bilateral trade to 18 billion USD. The two countries also regularly exchange defense and security delegations and actively participate in activities within the ASEAN framework.

The Indonesian ambassador expressed pride and optimism when mentioning the long-standing history of close relations between the two countries, both declaring independence in the same year, almost at the same time. Therefore, Vietnam and Indonesia are jointly realizing their goal of becoming high-income countries at a time when both countries are celebrating their 100th anniversary of independence.

It is expected that the two sides will sign a memorandum of understanding between the two governments, covering a wide range of areas, from politics and economics to issues such as technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, education, and agriculture.

The ambassador noted that the two countries have a great deal of potential for cooperation that is currently being discussed, particularly in business-to-business trade.

In Indonesia, there is the Indonesia-Vietnam Friendship Association, and so is there in Vietnam. Through these associations, both sides are trying to organize special events to showcase their close relationship, not only between governments and between people, but also through diverse connections such as art and culture.

Ambassador Denny Abdi affirmed that, with their close ties in all aspects, Indonesia and Vietnam can not only develop bilateral relations but also positively influence the Southeast Asian region, along with other ASEAN member states. This is truly important in the current complex regional and global context.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong said that during the visit, General Secretary To Lam and President Prabowo Subianto are expected to exchange views on the strategic vision for developing relations, and measures to further promote bilateral cooperation, including in new areas such as green energy, high-tech agriculture, cultural exchange, education, and tourism development.

The two leaders will also discuss directions for bilateral cooperation to realize the potential and reach new heights in Vietnam-Indonesia relations.

The issues discussed and agreed upon by the two leaders during the visit will serve as an important basis for further strengthening mutual understanding and political trust between the two countries, creating a solid foundation for further enhancing bilateral relations at the Party, Government, Parliament, local levels, and people-to-people exchanges.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-tham-indonesia-dua-quan-he-song-phuong-len-tam-cao-moi-2378737.html