REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi will meet her Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

"Today, the second Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting will be held between Indonesia and Vietnam at the foreign ministerial level," Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Mayerfas stated here on Thursday.

He noted that the two ministers will hold discussions to review the cooperation between the two countries in various fields in the past three years with regard to its achievements and obstacles.

"Obstacles will be addressed, so that they can be overcome and in the future, cooperation would be smoother. The two ministers will also explore opportunities in various areas to enhance cooperation between the countries," he revealed.

He remarked that efforts would be focused on ways to increase cooperation in the field of economy, especially trade and tourism.

Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2014 reached US$5.8 billion while Vietnam has been Indonesia's third-largest market in the ASEAN region.

Mayerfas said the two countries had agreed to increase the value of bilateral trade up to US$10 billion by 2018.

Apart from trade, Indonesia and Vietnam will also increase cooperation in the tourism sector by building cooperation between the travel bureaus of the two countries, among other things.

"We are urging to strengthen cooperation between Indonesian and Vietnamese travel agencies," he emphasized.

The number of Indonesian visitors to Vietnam reaches around 100 thousand a year, with Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi among the main tourist destinations being frequented by them.

The number of Vietnamese tourists to Indonesia reaches 40 thousand a year, with Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali being among their main destinations.

"We expect to double the number of Vietnamese tourists to Indonesia to reach 80 thousand," he added.

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