Jakarta, March 11 -- Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Rusdi Kirana, highlighted the need for stepping up cooperation with Vietnam, which is one of Indonesia's strategic partners in Southeast Asia.

"The relations between the two countries have been established since a long time ago, and the two countries share many similarities. Indonesia is experiencing good growth in the region, likewise with Vietnam," he observed at the Parliamentary Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

He lauded the bilateral agreement to boost trade between the countries to US$18 billion by 2028.

According to Kirana, Indonesia and Vietnam can cooperate in many fields, such as economy, technology, plantation, and agriculture.

Moreover, he said, ...