PM Phuc meets with Indonesian President on ASEAN Summit sidelines

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (left) meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on April 28 on the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore. Photo: VGP

PM Phuc and Indonesian President Widodo expressed their pleasure at the mutual trust and close ties between the two countries in the framework of their strategic partnership.

They welcomed the positive outcomes of the 3^rd meeting of the Joint Committee for Bilateral Cooperation at foreign ministerial level, held in Ha Noi on April 17, 2018, during which both sides figured out major orientations for cooperation across all fields.Both sides stressed the need to focus on accelerating trade and economic cooperation in a bid to soon realize the two-way trade goal of US$10 billion and assign competent agencies to start talks and sign agreements to achieve the goal as early as possible.

President Widodo welcomed PM Phuc’s proposals to enhance bilateral cooperation in a practical manner, including the signing of agreements related to trade, agriculture, security and defense and crime combat, among others.

Meanwhile, PM huc extended thanks to Indonesia for effective cooperation in returning Vietnamese fishfermen, asking the Indonesian side to continue address the issue based on the ASEAN spirit of friendship, humanitarianism and solidarity as well as the Viet Nam-Indonesia strategic partnership.

The Indonesian President thanked Viet Nam for supporting Indonesia’s initiative to host a meeting of ASEAN leaders on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, scheduled on October 11, 2018 in Bali, Indonesia. President Widodo repeated his invitation to PM Phuc to attend the meetings.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern, voicing their support for matters related to regional architecture, non-traditional challenges, cooperation and security in the East Sea and regional waters and others.

They agreed to continue coordinating positions at regional and international forums, especially ASEAN./.

By Hoang Ha