VP Kalla, Vietnamese Deputy PM discuss maritime

JAKARTA. Indonesian Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla and Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue held a meeting at the vice presidents office on Friday to discuss bilateral relations, particularly in the field of maritime affairs.

"We spoke about how to organize Indonesia-Vietnam joint patrols, and it is certainly not good if they are not held. He also thanked Indonesia for returning more than 600 Vietnamese fishermen who became the victims of human trafficking in Maluku," Kalla explained.

While saying that both countries were willing to improve relations in every field, Vice President Kalla affirmed that Indonesia and Vietnam will hold another meeting in Hanoi in early August to further discuss joint patrols, eradication of IUU fishing, and border administration.

Indonesia and Vietnam are holding ongoing negotiations on the exclusive economic zone after the meeting in Yogyakarta, last April.

In addition, Vice President Kalla and Deputy Prime Minister Hue discussed the upcoming visit of Vietnams Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Indonesia at the end of August.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Hue welcomed the plan of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to attend the APEC Economic Leaders Summit in Danang, Vietnam, in November 2017.

"We have become a strategic partner for each country, and we look forward to the president of Indonesia visiting Vietnam to attend the APEC economic leaders meeting in Danang in November this year," Hue said through an interpreter.

Earlier, Vietnams deputy prime minister and his delegation met Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi to hold detailed discussions on bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership. (Reported by Azizah Fitriyanti/Uu.Y013/INE/KR-BSR/F001)