Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s presence at theASEAN Leaders’ Gathering (ALG) and the plenary session of InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF)- World Bank (WB) annual meetings will affirm Vietnam’scommitments to being an active and responsible member of ASEAN and treasuringglobal multilateral institutions.

The statement was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to IndonesiaPham Vinh Quang in his interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondentsin the country on the threshold of his working visit to Indonesia and attendanceat these events from October 11-12.

Quang said that PM Phuc’s attendance at the ALG and theIMF-WB annual meetings’ plenary session is of significance, showing thecountry’s responsibility for contributing to ASEAN’s dynamic and sustainabledevelopment.

The presence and contributions of the high-level Vietnamese delegationled by PM Phuc to these meetings are the follow-up of the country’s efforts tojoin hands with the international community in boosting sustainable developmentand green growth, and implementing the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable DevelopmentGoals

Under the theme of “Achieving Sustainable Development Goalsand Overcoming Development Gap Through Regional and Global Collaborative Actions”,ASEAN leaders will focus their discussions on orientations and measures tointensify cooperation between ASEAN and international organisations such as theUnited Nations, IMF and WB, to create a momentum for building the ASEANCommunity in line with the 2030 Agenda, the diplomat shared.

Regarding the Vietnam-Indonesia relations, Ambassador Quang saidthat the PM’s working visit to Indonesia will demonstrate Vietnam’s respect forIndonesia’s role and position in the region and the world, and show its wish tocoordinate closely with Indonesia and other ASEAN member states in building theSoutheast Asian region of peace, stability, solidarity, prosperous developmentand sustainable growth.

Although the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership was setup five years ago, the two countries have a nearly-70-year bilateral diplomaticrelationship with numerous achievements in politics, defence, security,economics, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Through high-level visits, bilateral cooperative mechanismsand increasing political trust, collaboration in other fields is developingstrongly as well.

The two countries are striving for 10 billion USD in two-waytrade value as soon as possible and rising the number of Vietnamese tourists toIndonesia and vice versa to 220,000 by 2023 from the 120,000 at present.

In the complicated regional and global situation, it iscrucial for Vietnam and Indonesia to intensify cooperation to turn challengesinto opportunities so as to build a strong and united ASEAN, thus helping solvedisputes peacefully, ensure security and stability in the region, and promotetrade liberalisation, Quang stated.

With the political determination of both sides’ leaders,Vietnam and Indonesia are step by step overcoming difficulties, standing witheach other to deepen bilateral cooperation, contributing to enhance solidarityand promote the central role of ASEAN in all mechanisms led and formed by thebloc, he added.-VNA