Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Cong Vinh, highlighted that Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, built on a solid political foundation laid by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno. Over the past 70 years, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries have been continuously nurtured by generations of leaders and citizens, achieving significant milestones and making positive contributions to regional peace, stability, and development.
According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, the upgrade of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 marked a historic milestone, making Vietnam Indonesia’s first comprehensive strategic partner within ASEAN. This serves as a solid political foundation for both countries to further expand cooperation across various sectors, with the goal of raising bilateral trade to US$18 billion by 2028, while also enhancing coordination and mutual support in regional and international forums, particularly within ASEAN and the United Nations.
Regarding relations between Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Cong Vinh, noted that Indonesia is currently one of the city’s key partners in trade, investment, culture, and tourism, with 113 active investment projects totaling more than US$167 million.
At the ceremony, Indonesia’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Carolina Tinangon, reviewed the historical trajectory of Vietnam–Indonesia bilateral relations.
The Consul General emphasized that, alongside state-to-state ties, Ho Chi Minh City plays a particularly important role in advancing Indonesia–Vietnam cooperation. As Vietnam’s major economic, financial, and commercial hub, the city has emerged as an attractive destination for Indonesian businesses. Investment promotion, trade, tourism, and cultural and educational exchanges in Ho Chi Minh City have been widely regarded as effective bridges linking Indonesia with the Southern region in Vietnam. She also praised the introduction of direct flights connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Jakarta and Bali, noting that they have significantly boosted people-to-people exchanges and tourism.
Indonesia’s Consul General, Carolina Tinangon, expressed her hope to further expand cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in promising areas such as the digital economy, the green economy, renewable energy, and food security, while identifying the Halal industry as a new driver for bilateral trade and investment under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
)
