The view was shared during a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10 between Tran Van Bay, vice chairman of the HCM City municipal People's Committee, and Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono, vice chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives Committee in charge of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Communication.

Bay said relations between Vietnam and Indonesia have continued to develop positively, becoming increasingly substantive and comprehensive.

At the local level, Ho Chi Minh City attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with Indonesian localities. Bilateral trade between the city and Indonesia surpassed US$1.5 billion in 2025.

However, according to the city official, current cooperation outcomes have yet to fully reflect the considerable potential and growing demand for collaboration between the two sides.

He noted that both sides have ample opportunities to exchange experiences and launch joint initiatives in areas of mutual interest.

These include urban governance, disaster management, climate change adaptation and maritime economic development, all of which offer significant potential for future cooperation.

Ho Chi Minh City is also seeking closer collaboration with Indonesia in addressing non-traditional security challenges, including transnational crime prevention, anti-drug efforts and cybersecurity, he said.

Reaffirming the city's commitment to supporting the business community, Bay assured Ho Chi Minh City would continue creating favourable conditions for enterprises, investors and localities from both sides to strengthen connectivity and expand mutually beneficial partnerships.

For his part, Laksono said Indonesian partners are interested in broadening cooperation with Vietnam, particularly Ho Chi Minh City, in areas such as trade, investment, logistics, high technology and fisheries.

According to him, these sectors offer substantial growth potential as bilateral relations between Vietnam and Indonesia continue to deepen.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen ties between localities, particularly as Ho Chi Minh City and Padang prepare to mark the 10th anniversary of their friendship and cooperation relationship in 2026.

Source: VOV

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