Vietnam is not only a friend but also an important partner of Indonesia and the two countries have various opportunities to co-operate and support each other in trade, investment and tourism, said the Indonesian President.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made the remarks at a reception in Jakarta on March 1 for a ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly led by NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Indonesian president said the two countries also have potentials to co-operate in fishery and aquaculture sectors.

NA Chairman Trong thanked Indonesia for its alltime support for the country at multilateral forums and assured President Yudhoyono of Vietnam’s desire to boost the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation with Indonesia .

President Yudhoyono and Chairman Trong agreed to increase relations in economics, trade and investment and to facilitate exchanges and co-operation for entrepreneurs from both sides.

The president expressed his belief that the relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia will be increasingly developed in the future while noting that it should be promoted both bilaterally and multilaterally.

He said within the regional co-operation framework, each member country of the ASEAN should pay their own contributions to the regional development while ensuring that the ASEAN’s operational methods and principles be upheld concurrently.

Chairman Trong asked the Indonesian President to help Vietnam fulfill its role as Chair of the ASEAN and the ASEAN Interparliamentary Assembly (AIPA) this year as well as support Vietnam at the summit of developed and emerging economies (G20).

President Yudhoyono said Indonesia will always support Vietnam at regional and international forums the way it has received Vietnamese support so far.

On the same day, Chairman Trong and his entourage attended the Vietnam-Indonesia Business Forum at the presence of 300 entrepreneurs.

During the dialogue, Trong said Vietnam and Indonesia have maintained the macro economic stability and their paces of growth despite difficulties in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and economic depression. He hoped the forum would help create a new development in the business ties between the two countries.

Acting Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Adi Putra Tahir said more and more Indonesian enterprises are getting interested in doing business in Vietnam .

This, he said, can be seen in the large number of local firms attending the forum, which come from a myriad of sectors including telecommunications, health and pharmaceuticals, coal and mining, finance and logistics.

The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Indonesia and Vietnam took the occasion to sign a co-operation deal. (VNA)