Leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam hold bilateral meeting before ASEAN leaders meeting on Myanmar

Jakarta (Indonesia) Apr 24: Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who arrived here to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders meeting on Myanmar, and the two discussed bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in Myanmar.
Indonesian Foreign Minister RetnoMarsudi told a press conference that the two leaders in their bilateral meeting discussed strengthening health cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing economic cooperation, accelerating the two countries' negotiations on the exclusive economic zone borderline, as well as the situation in Myanmar.
"The president encouraged both countries to call for equal access to vaccines and, for the long term, to create health resilience in Southeast Asia," said Retno.
Concerning the economic sector, Widodo invited Vietnam to lower barriers to trade and investment, noting that the trade value between Vietnam and Indonesia has nearly doubled in the last five years.
According to Retno, both leaders expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar.
The two leaders hoped that the face-to-face ASEAN leaders meeting on Myanmar to be held on Saturday could result in the best agreement for Myanmar, she said.
Retno said that the leaders of Thailand, Laos, and the Philippines have said they cannot attend the meeting.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua