Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Nguyen Xuan Thuy believes that the target of US$10 billion for Indonesia-Vietnam bilateral trade can be achieved by 2018.
In an interview with journalists at the Vietnamese Embassy in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday, Thuy disclosed various factors that could help the two countries achieve the target.
"Indonesia and Vietnam are large countries in Southeast Asia, not only in terms of their population, but also their economy, which continues to grow. Therefore, besides government-to-government cooperation, we also encourage business-to-business cooperation," he stated.
For its part, the Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta recently organized a symposium, which was attended by 30 Vietnamese companies seeking business opportunities with their Indonesian counterparts.
The ambassador said trade between the two countries had reached US$2 billion during the first half of 2015, raising his optimism about the two countries achieving the target for bilateral trade of US$10 billion by 2018.
"The two countries are experiencing a difficult time due to the unfavorable impact of the global economy, but I think that the two countries have done their utmost," he said.
Trade between the two countries reached US$5.4 billion in 2014, outstripping the target of US$400 million.
Vietnam's exports to Indonesia include telephone spare parts, textile products, footwear, rice and plastic products, while its imports paper, chemicals and computer sets from Indonesia. (WDY)
