The ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Indonesia on December 19 in HCM City marks a milestone in bilateral cooperation and looks towards the future. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HCM CITY — The HCM City People's Committee held a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of Việt Nam-Indonesia diplomatic relations on December 19 in HCM City.

Nguyễn Công Vinh, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee, mentioned that 70 years ago, Indonesia became the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Việt Nam. 

The foundation for this relationship was laid by President Hồ Chí Minh and Indonesian President Sukarno, and it continues to grow with the support of the leaders and people of both nations.

Việt Nam officially became Indonesia's first Comprehensive Strategic Partner in ASEAN in March this year. The positive political relationship between two countries serves as a solid foundation for both sides to continue expanding cooperation in economics, culture, and tourism. Việt Nam and Indonesia also regularly coordinate and support each other at regional and international forums.

These milestones not only affirm the high level of political trust between the two countries but also create strong momentum for bilateral relations to enter a new phase of development, which is more extensive, substantive, and effective.

Currently, Indonesia is one of HCM City’s major partners in various fields, ranging from trade and investment to culture and tourism. The city highly values the active contributions of the Indonesian Consulate General and the Indonesian community residing here.

Vinh believed that the cooperative relationship between the two countries would continue to be strengthened and flourish in the future, contributing to the extensive and comprehensive development of the Việt Nam-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

Carolina Tinangon, Indonesian Consulate General in HCM City, said Indonesia and Việt Nam have shown strong determination in promoting bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economics, trade and investment, especially in strengthening people-to-people exchanges through activities promoting tourism, education, and culture.

The country seeks to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Việt Nam in the upcoming period, particularly with HCM City, in priority sectors such as food security, fisheries, the digital and green economy, and the Halal industry.

The leaders of both countries affirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in key areas and set a target of reaching US$18 billion in bilateral trade turnover by 2028. — VNS