On 17th of August this year, Indonesia will celebrate its 71st Independence Day, at a time when the world continues to face uncertainties and challenges. Under the second year of President Joko Widodo’s administration, however, Indonesia is continuing to spare no efforts to contribute positively for its people and the peoples in the region as well as around the globe. 

The 71st of this year celebration is accompanied by some notable achievements, particularly in the economic sector since the current government has underlined that economy transformation is its main focus. 

To name a few, the first would be the ability of the government to manage Indonesian economy grow about 5% within the first semester of 2016. 

Amid the unpredictable global situation, like any other countries in the world are now facing, this result is something that deserves an appreciation. 

Through a series of economic package reforms issued by the government, reaching 11 programs so far, the economic stability is kept in its positive trajectory as an engine for development. 

Among those policies, the government has put its highest priority to improve the ease of doing business. 

By doing this, Indonesia attracted the biggest portion of foreign investment in the ASEAN region, amounting 34% in 2015.

Infrastructure is also a key factor to further develop the country. Realizing the importance of infrastructure in solving the problem of logistical distribution, the government is intensively building the extensive road network connecting several important major points in large islands in Sumatra to Papua, with the target of 6000 km to be completed in the upcoming years. 

Moreover, as the world’s largest archipelagic state, Indonesia is blessed to have one of the longest coastal lines, stretching 99.093 km2; vast sea area with more than 5 million km2; and surrounded by 13.466 named island among 17.500 islands in total. 

These, however, also impose challenges since they divide Indonesia by many internal seas. Rather than to see this as a problem, those waters are deemed as important parts of the sea toll road transportation program considering how vital the seaports are to facilitate the smooth handling of goods. 

It is also significant component to achieve an event and just development throughout the country.      

The inner-island connectivity will be beneficial to forge Indonesia’s strategic position to become a maritime axis, which potentially further strengthening its already-possessed comparative advantage. 

Situated on the strategic intersection of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, it makes Indonesia able to offer accessible and efficient trade routes to many attractive markets.

In the field of foreign policy, Indonesia has been well-known for its stance in playing an active role in promoting peace regionally and internationally. 

The world currently encounter the growing threats, be it traditional and non-traditional ones. 

The on-going conflicts and instability, coupled with the increasing security issues such as extremism, radicalism, and terrorism have become the common situation in some parts of the world. 

Indonesia had been and will consistently be part of solution by keep pursuing peace and prosperity through dialogue and peaceful means using various fora. 

Hundreds of bilateral/international meetings and concluded agreements are the witness of how Indonesian diplomacy is working. 

It includes, among others, the holding of Asian-African Summit in 2015 in Jakarta and Bandung and Roundtable Meeting on Addressing the Root Causes of Irregular Movement of Persons in 2015. 

The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, has gained the rising of acknowledgment as the diplomatic capital of ASEAN, as illustrated by the high number of foreign missions opened in the city.

2016 is the starting year of ASEAN Economic Community, and as the members of the regional grouping, Indonesia and Vietnam are required to prepare themselves to maximize opportunities brought by the community for their people. 

Jakarta, Indonesia.

However, the introduction of ASEAN Community should open up the greater possibilities for both countries to strengthen their cooperation and joint effort in as many fields as possible.   

In addition to become the ASEAN members, Indonesia and Vietnam is also the strategic partners, which share various similarities, such as huge and young population, emerging power, and the growing number of middle-class income. 

All of those elements are important impetus for having closer ties and relationship in the future.

In term of bilateral trade volume, both countries enjoyed a stable path, though the economic downturn has slightly decreased the figures, from US$5.38 billion in 2014 to US$5.02 billion in 2015. 

We still have to continue our hard work to achieve our bilateral trade target of US$10 billion in 2018.

The link and mutual understanding between people are the important things need to be nurtured and improved. 

In doing so, working closely with the media and offering the scholarship for Vietnamese students will stay as Indonesian focus to promote a closer relation among the people.

Despite the potentials we have, numerous tasks and challenges are laying ahead of us. It is therefore, we need to join hand in hand in identifying, resolving, and  translating them into a concrete and result-oriented plan to fulfil our citizens expectations. 

By H.E. Ibnu Hadi

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam