JAKARTA – Indonesia and Vietnam have agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as both nations mark 70 years of diplomatic relations. Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Monday, where they discussed strengthening economic and defense cooperation.
“We have agreed to enhance our relations and cooperation across various sectors,” Prabowo announced at a press conference, emphasizing a commitment to deeper collaboration in fisheries, the digital and green economy, high-tech industries, and security.
Prabowo also revealed plans to visit Vietnam soon to formalize an economic cooperation agreement, expressing hope that Indonesia’s parliament would ratify the deal next month. The meeting underscores Indonesia’s evolving foreign policy approach under Prabowo, who, unlike his predecessor Joko Widodo, is expected to take a more active role in global diplomacy.
Both nations share claims to parts of the South China Sea and have previously clashed over fishing rights. In 2019, Jakarta summoned Vietnam’s ambassador after accusing the Vietnamese coastguard of ramming an Indonesian vessel to prevent the interception of an illegal fishing boat.
As the world’s largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia is determined to curb illegal fishing, which it says costs its economy billions annually. In an assertion of sovereignty, Jakarta has renamed its portion of the disputed waters as the North Natuna Sea.