President Prabowo Subianto and the Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Tô Lâm, have agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, March 10, 2025. 

Tô Lâm’s visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam. During the meeting, both nations committed to strengthening cooperation across various sectors, including politics, economy, education, science, and people-to-people relations. 

Prabowo emphasized that economic cooperation remains a key focus in driving growth for both countries. The two nations have set a target to achieve bilateral economic cooperation worth USD 18 billion (approximately IDR 294.6 trillion) by 2028. 

"We are confident that this will bring prosperity to both our nations," Prabowo stated. 

This commitment was formalized through the exchange of three cooperation documents in the presence of both leaders: 

1. Letter of Intent (LoI) on Capacity-Building Cooperation in Engineering and Digital Economy, signed by Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Vietnam’s Minister of Industry; 

2. Letter of Intent (LoI) on Cooperation in Science and Technology, signed by Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and Vietnam’s Minister of Science and Technology; and 

3. Implementing Arrangement on Aquaculture Cooperation, signed by Indonesia’s Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Environment. 

Additionally, Indonesia welcomed Vietnamese investments in various sectors, including automotive, agriculture, and food security. Prabowo noted that this collaboration would not only benefit both countries but also contribute to global food security. 

"This will help both nations strengthen food security, and we may even become contributors to the world's food supply," he remarked. 

Beyond trade and investment, economic cooperation will also be expanded to include fisheries, the digital economy, green economy, and high-tech industries. 

This article is published in partnership with Katadata 

Original article here