Vietnamese Leader To Lam Welcomes Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: On September 13, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm received Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is on a working visit to Vietnam. During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the significance of the Vietnam – Indonesia strategic partnership and discussed avenues for deepening bilateral ties in key sectors.
President Tô Lâm extended his congratulations to Indonesia on the occasion of its 79th National Day and commended the country’s socio-economic achievements and active contributions to regional and global peace and cooperation. He emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia, reflecting the strong bond between the two nations.
In response, President-elect Subianto praised Vietnam for its significant progress in economic development and its growing influence on the international stage. He also expressed his heartfelt sympathy for the damage caused by Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam and affirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its traditional friendship with Vietnam, which remains its only strategic partner in ASEAN.
The leaders lauded the progress made in the Vietnam – Indonesia strategic partnership, highlighting the sustained high-level exchanges and collaboration in various areas, including security, defense, maritime affairs, culture, tourism, and transport. They also noted the strong people-to-people and locality-to-locality ties that have bolstered relations between the two countries.
Indonesia is Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner within ASEAN, while Vietnam ranks as Indonesia’s fourth-largest. Bilateral trade between the two countries has nearly quadrupled over the past decade, with businesses from both nations increasing investments in key sectors such as manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, and industry.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed further cooperation to elevate bilateral relations. They agreed to strengthen political trust by increasing exchanges and contacts at all levels, and to finalize an action plan for implementing the strategic partnership over the next five years. Both sides committed to organizing meaningful activities to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.
A key outcome of the talks was the shared determination to raise bilateral trade to $18 billion by 2028. Both countries agreed to encourage investment in new sectors such as the digital economy, green economy, energy transition, and electric vehicle development. President Tô Lâm also expressed Vietnam’s readiness to collaborate with Indonesia on ensuring food security and called for greater access to the Indonesian market for Vietnamese agricultural and Halal products.
In addition, the leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation in defense and security, particularly in preventing transnational crimes and addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. President Tô Lâm also requested Indonesia’s support in training Vietnamese officers for United Nations peacekeeping missions.
On regional and international matters, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination within ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement. They also highlighted the importance of sustainable development in regional sub-regions and emphasized their shared stance on peace and stability in the East Sea. The leaders reiterated the need for solidarity within ASEAN and for negotiations on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
President Tô Lâm expressed his hope that Indonesia would send high-level representatives to the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 and the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit in Vietnam, underscoring the continued importance of bilateral cooperation in promoting regional and global sustainability goals.
