Indonesian President Joko Widodo concludes Vietnam trip

Indonesian President Joko Widodo concludes his trip to Vietnam today. This trip marks his second state visit to Vietnam since 2018.

Indonesia was the first ASEAN state to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1955. Both sides have not only facilitated delegation exchanges at the state, national assembly and ministerial level in the recent years, but also cemented their relations through a “strategic partnership” in 2013. This trip is expected to deepen their strategic partnership and strengthen bilateral economic ties, as both sides aim to reach $15 billion in two-way trade by 2028. Today’s discussions will also cover trade and investments, people to people exchanges and agriculture alongside co-operation in renewable energy.

Given Vietnam’s position as the second fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia, Jakarta remains eager to further deepen ties with Hanoi, especially within the domain of trade and investment. Furthermore, Mr. Widodo wants to leave a legacy of strengthening Indonesian-Vietnamese relations before he leaves office this year. Overall, given the history of friendship and the strategic partnership between the two states, expect relations to be upgraded from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive one, with deepening co-operation more visible within the traditional security domain.