Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh held talks with visiting Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in Hà Nội on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh held talks with visiting Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in Hà Nội on Monday, during which both sides agreed to enhance co-operation.

The two foreign ministers expressed delight at ties between the two nations in recent years, with economic co-operation in particular thriving with two-way trade in 2019 projected at US$9.6 billion.

As both nations are celebrating the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2020, Minh and Marsudi agreed to organise celebration activities to raise public awareness of bilateral ties.

They also decided works to enhance bilateral co-operative mechanisms, including the 4th meeting of the Việt Nam – Indonesia Co-operation Committee and the 8th meeting of the joint committee on economic, scientific and technological cooperation, as well as push up the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Action Plan 2019-23.

Discussing regional and international issues, both diplomats stressed the importance of Việt Nam – Indonesia co-operation, saying it plays an important part in each nation’s development while contributing to regional peace and stability.

They said it is crucial to maintain the central role of ASEAN, especially when Việt Nam is ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020.

Indonesia said it supported Việt Nam’s initiatives during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 with the theme of 'Cohesive and Resilient'.

Both sides said they would promote the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) which was approved at the 34th ASEAN Summit in Thailand in June, calling it an important basis for the bloc to boost collaboration with foreign partners.

The two ministers also voiced their concerns over recent developments in the East Sea, and condemned activities that violate the rights of coastal countries and hinder economic activities, saying they seriously affect regional peace, stability and security, run against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties on the East Sea (DOC) and harm negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC).

They agreed Việt Nam, Indonesia and other ASEAN members should maintain their common voice and ASEAN’s central role to settle the disputes on the basis of respect to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

In addition, the two diplomats agreed to continue co-ordination in the framework of the United Nations, especially the UNSC in 2020.

Marsudi said Indonesia pledges to support Việt Nam to complete its role as the UNSC Chair in 2020 and hailed the latter’s initiative to hold an open discussion about the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter and a seminar to deliver report on the UN – ASEAN co-operation in maintaining peace and security. — VNS