A Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Night was co-held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam on November 16 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (1955 – 2020).

The Friendship Night of Indonesia and Vietnam is held on November 16
to mark the 65th anniversary of the two countries' diplomatic ties.
(Photo: Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam)

The event featured traditional music performances from both countries and honoured winners of the video competition “Aku & Indonesia”.

In his opening remarks, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi said Indonesia is the first country in ASEAN to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and the 11th in the world to recognise it as an independent country.

He recalled the historic visits of President Ho Chi Minh to Indonesia and Indonesian President Seokarno to Vietnam in 1959, saying they laid solid foundation for the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship. The spirit of friendship between the two leaders is a historic treasure that must be promoted and passed to the future generations, he said.

Hadi, who is about to finish his four-year mission in Vietnam, said he is honoured to witness Vietnam’s robust growth and the positive development of the bilateral ties.

Also present at the event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong highlighted Indonesia’s important role in the region, saying the multi-faceted cooperation between the two nations is developing comprehensively and extensively at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Vietnam and Indonesia have seen progress in politics, economy, investment, culture and more, particularly since 2013 when the two countries upgraded ties to a strategic partnership, he said.

As Vietnam and Indonesia have a lot in common in culture and history, the two countries enjoy shared benefits in fostering regional connection and international integration, the deputy minister continued. The two nations have together achieved numerous positive results in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, contributing to the building of an ASEAN Community of solidarity and development.

He expected that the event will promote ASEAN’s cultural diversity, enhance mutual understanding and solidarity between the two nations and their people, and further strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership.