VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo  on Saturday asked Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to immediately wrap up negotiations on the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between the two neighboring countries. President Joko Widdodo raised the border issue at a bilateral meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit conference being held in this city country. Joko Widodo said a number of the results of the Joint-Council-Bilateral-Cooperation (JCBC) meeting need immediate follow up talks include issue of maritime borders between Indonesia and Vietnam.  Conclusion of the border talks would prevent unnecessary incident and would help promote fishery and maritime cooperation.

Indonesian authorities have detained and exploded a number of foreign fishing boats including Vietnamese fishing vessels caught illegally fishing in Indonesian waters.

"I am confident we could immediately wrap up the negotiation," Jokowi told the Vietnamese leader.

The Indonesian President also said that the drafting of 2019-2023 Action Plan on strategic partnership between the two countries should be finished in November 2018. He expressed appreciation for the agreement to remove bottlenecks that exports of motor vehicles from Indonesia to Vietnam could be normal again soon, and the bilateral trade target of US$10 billion set for 2020 could come to a reality. He said he appreciates support by Vietnam for the initiative on Indo-Pacific cooperation concept proposed by Indonesia at the ASEAN summit meeting.

He took the occasion to convey invitation to the Vietnamese Prime Minister to attend the ASEAN Leaders Gathering to be held in Bali on 11 October 2018. He said he would seriously consider an invitation by Prime Minister Nguyen to attend the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in September 11-13 this year.

"I will seriously consider the invitation," he said.

Accompanying the president at the meeting included Coordinating Minister for Security, law and Political Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, Chief the Presidential Staff Moeldoko, and Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore I Gede Ngurah Swajaya. ( antara )