Vietnam and Indonesia strengthen ties to achieve high-income status by 2045
The two Southeast Asian nations will build up cross-sectoral economic partnership with a focus on food and energy security, maritime cooperation, and Halal industries toward the set economic status.
The Hanoi Times — Vietnam and Indonesia have just elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with a focus on deepening economic cooperation to achieve high-income country status upon their respective 100th anniversary of independence in 2045.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam (L) and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the press conference in Jakarta on March 10. Photos: Tuan Anh/Baoquocte
The elevation of the relations was announced on March 10 during the official visit paid by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam to Indonesia as part of activities to celebrate 70 years of the diplomatic relations between the two Southeast Asian countries.
The elevation to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), the highest level of cooperation in Vietnam’s diplomatic relations, was declared during the Party chief’s visit that was made at the invitation of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
With the elevation, both leaders are committed to advancing ties into a new chapter. They pledged to “deepen relations in all channels, including between people to people and business communities.”
The key point of the CSP will be economic ties as both countries target high-income economies by 2045 when they both celebrate the 100th anniversary of independence. Toward this objective, they target bilateral trade of US$18 billion by 2028 and continue to strengthen comprehensive economic cooperation while expanding collaboration in new areas like green economy, food and energy security, Halal industries, fisheries, agriculture, maritime cooperation, science and technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and finance and banking.
To attain the goal, the leaders stressed the importance of mutual support and close coordination in multilateral forums and addressed regional and global challenges of common concerns. They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation within ASEAN, the UN, and other global platforms, supporting regional and global problem-solving. They pledged to strengthen ASEAN Community building, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and emphasized synergy in sub-regional cooperation, including the Mekong sub-region.
The two Foreign Ministries are tasked to work with relevant agencies to build a Plan of Action to effectively implement decisions through concrete and mutually beneficial initiatives.
Another important aspect of the CSP is strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The two sides will conduct regular assessments through established bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
The two leaders witness the exchange of cooperation agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Progress in relations
In discussions in an amiable atmosphere, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to longstanding friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Indonesia, emphasizing that the two nations showed “significant progress in deepening mutual trust and cooperation” since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2013.
The partnership has expanded both “in scope and substance”, covering key sectors such as politics, security, defense, trade, investment, agriculture, fisheries, maritime cooperation, education, information technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Overview of the press conference.
Responsible regional members
Both countries also reaffirmed their adherence to the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and their shared commitment to ASEAN’s unity, resilience, centrality, and inclusiveness for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
On this occasion, the leaders discussed developments in the South China Sea and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with ASEAN’s consistent position. They highlighted the importance of resolving disputes peacefully through legal and diplomatic means in full compliance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Both sides called on all parties to adhere to international law, exercise self-restraint, and avoid actions that could escalate tensions. They emphasized the need for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) negotiations and encouraged the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law.
So far, Vietnam has established the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with 11 countries, namely: China in 2008, Russia in 2012, India in 2016, South Korea in 2022, the United States in September 2023, Japan in November 2023, Australia in March 2024, France in October 2024, Malaysia in November 2024, and New Zealand in February 2025, and Indonesia in March 2025.
