Viet
VIP Member
Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives in Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, January 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency
The leaders of Indonesia and Vietnam highlighted security in the South China Sea and investments in Indonesia by electric vehicle maker VinFast in joint statements after a meeting on Friday as President Joko Widodo visited Hanoi.
The two Southeast Asian countries are strengthening their ties with corporate investments, more trade and closer cooperation on boosting security in the contested South China Sea amid tensions with Beijing.
Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea in a statement after he met with Widodo, widely known as Jokowi.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on fisheries cooperation. The text is not public, but it may address Vietnamese fishermen's encroachments in other countries' waters, which is a regular source of tension in the region.
Ahead of Jokowi's trip, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the country was ready to work with other Southeast Asian nations to finalise a long-delayed code of conduct for the South China Sea, a strategic waterway for trade and energy.
A Vietnamese official confirmed the matter would be discussed in Hanoi during Jokowi's visit.
A Southeast Asian code of conduct would be seen as a blow to China.
