Following is the full text of the joint statement:

1. The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E Mr. Phan Van Khai paid his official visit to the Republic of Indonesia from February 22-23, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.  This was a return visit following President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s State visit to Vietnam in May 2005 and constitutes a significant event in 50 year commemoration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam. This was also Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s first official visit to Indonesia as Head of Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

2. The meetings of the two leaders began with a tête-à-tête session, and followed by a bilateral meeting between the two delegations where they discussed bilateral and international issues. In these discussions, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai informed each other of the development in their respective countries. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai congratulated Indonesia for its recent success in restoring peace in Aceh through a peaceful political settlement based on special autonomy within the context of a united Indonesia. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expand and deepen the bilateral relations between Indonesia and Vietnam. They also reiterated their commitment to implement the Declaration between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Indonesia on the Framework of Friendly and Comprehensive Partnership Entering the 21^st Century signed in June of 2003. For this purpose, the two leaders tasked their Foreign Ministries to ensure the early conclusion of a Plan of Action (PoA) based on mutual agreement by the two sides, using the existing mechanism of Joint Bilateral Consultation.

3.With reference to the Agreement on Delimitation of Continental Shelf, signed on June 26, 2003, the two leaders concurred that it should enter into force as soon as possible. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono informed Prime Minister Phan Van Khai of the current stage of the ratification process being undertaken by Indonesia.

4.The two leaders agreed to take a forward-looking and fresh look at the current bilateral economic co-operation and considered ways and means to further strengthen this co-operation, particularly through promoting a more attractive and favorable environment for greater trade and investment co-operation as well as by opening up mutually beneficial new areas of economic co-operation. In this connection, both leaders welcomed progress on initiatives stemming from the Joint Commission Meeting on Economic, Scientific and Technical Co-operation and underscored the role played by people-to-people and business-to-business contacts in an effort to further the co-operation as well as to develop each other’s national economy. 

5.The two leaders agreed to enhance the existing bilateral defense co-operation and they also agreed to promote mutual visits by their respective defense officials. In this regard, both leaders warmly welcomed the ideas to establish a Framework Agreement of Defense Co-operation and instructed the relevant institutions of the two countries for realising such an objective. The Vietnamese side took note of Indonesia’s offer for hosting the 2006 ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting.

6.The two leaders reiterated their commitment to combating transnational organized crimes such as illegal drugs, trafficking in persons and illegal logging, etc and underlined the need for international co-operation to combat those crimes. In this context, both leaders underlined the urgency of realizing the full implementation of the MoU on Co-operation on Preventing and Combating Crimes signed in 2005 and instructed the relevant institutions of the two countries to expeditiously work out the details.

7.The two leaders reiterated their denunciation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and were committed to improving counter terrorism co-operation between the two countries focusing on information and intelligence sharing capacity building. In this connection, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised Indonesia’s recent outstanding achievements in the fight against terrorism by breaking the chain of command of the local terrorist network. 

8.The two leaders recognized that the prosperity of the two peoples, to some extent, was inextricably linked to agricultural sector. In this context, both leaders welcomed initiatives to strengthen bilateral agricultural co-operation in many areas including the food security.

9.The two leaders were deeply concerned with the increasing deforestation due to illegal logging which has inflicted a serious damage on the environment and the national economy. Both leaders therefore supported initiatives to intensify bilateral forestry co-operation on combating illegal logging and its associated trade, preventing forest fire and improving wood processing.   

10.The two leaders concurred that illegal fishing seriously threatened the livelihoods of the coastal communities and damaged the natural environment. In this connection, both leaders pledged to forge closer coordination and co-operation on combating illegal fishing through, among others, realizing the full implementation of the already signed agreements between the two countries such as the 2003 MoU on Fisheries Co-operation and the 2005 Agreed Minutes between Indonesia and Vietnam. In this regard, the two leaders also emphasised the need to continue disseminating relevant information to fishermen of the two countries.

11.The two leaders expressed their deep concern regarding the spread of the avian flu virus, regionally and globally. They encouraged closer coordination and co-operation between the Ministry of Health of the two countries on combating infectious diseases and improving public health. The two leaders also underlined that preventing the avian flu pandemic requires further intensification of existing bilateral, regional and international co-operation.

12.The two leaders expressed their appreciation towards the positive development of bilateral educational co-operation. To promote closer co-operation, they instructed relevant institutions in their respective countries to swiftly implement the MoU on Co-operation in the Field of Education signed in 2005.

13.The two leaders recognized the positive contribution of culture and tourism sectors to their respective national economies. They welcomed the signing on 22 February 2006 of the Arrangement on Tourism Co-operation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Administration of Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

14.The two leaders recognised the need to ensure energy security in the light of the growing demand for sufficient and affordable energy supplies as one of necessary conditions to ensure their sustainable national development. In this regard, the two leaders supported the initiative to promote closer bilateral co-operation between PERTAMINA and PETROVIETNAM as well as the tripartite co-operation scheme involving PERTAMINA, PETROVIETNAM and PETRONAS. In addition, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also welcomed Vietnam’s intention to invest in energy sector in Indonesia.

15.The two leaders were of the view that both countries had benefited from people-to-people contacts. In this regard, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai noted appreciatively the Indonesian initiative to organize ASEAN + 3 Language Program and the 2005 Indonesian Art and Culture Scholarship program for students from 30 countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Vietnam. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono welcomed the request made by the Vietnamese side to support the development of a number sports that Indonesia has strength including the training of their badminton athletes in Indonesia.

16.The two leaders expressed mutual appreciation for the close co-ordination and co-operation by both countries in regional and international forums. Both leaders reassured their commitment to a stronger Indonesia-Vietnam partnership in promoting regional and international peace, stability and economic development.

17.The two leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the realisation of an ASEAN Community comprising three pillars, namely political and security co-operation, economic co-operation and socio-cultural co-operation that are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring the durable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region.

18.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono congratulated Vietnam for being the host of 2006 APEC Leaders’ Meeting. On behalf of the Government and People of Indonesia, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his confidence that the APEC Leaders’ Meeting would be successful in promoting APEC’s co-operation towards realizing the Asia-Pacific as a dynamic community for sustainable development and prosperity. In addition, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono restated Indonesia’s support for Vietnam’s leadership in APEC Reform. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai also reiterated Vietnam’s support for Indonesia’s leadership of APEC’s Task Force on Emergency Preparedness (TFEP).

19.On UN co-operation, both leaders expressed their sincere appreciation to the two countries’ close co-operation in this world body that was demonstrated among others, by the two countries’ mutual support for their respective candidatures for UN Security Council non permanent seat, namely Indonesia for 2007-2008 and Vietnam for 2008-2009 tenures.

20.At the conclusion of the bilateral talks, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai witnessed the signing of Arrangement on Tourism Co-operation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia and the National Administration of Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

21.Prime Minister Phan Van Khai expressed his sincere gratitude to President Yudhoyono and to the Government and people of Indonesia for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to him and the Vietnamese delegation during this official visit.

VNA