RI TO SUPPORT VIETNAM'S SUCCESS AS ASEAN'S CHAIR

Jakarta, Nov 26 (ANTARA) - Indonesia will support Vietnam's success as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2010 as Vietnam is expecting, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has said.

Marty made the statement when paying a courtesy call on Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during a visit in Hanoi on Thursday.

He said Indonesia had an interest in making Vietnam's leadership successful because Vietnam would "translate Asean's Visions into actions," according to the Indonesian embassy in the Vietnamese capital on Thursday.

The mission was in line with the Indonesian expectations in making Asean more progressive based on the Asean Charter, he said.

During the meeting, Marty also said Indonesia's relations with Vietnam were very significant and had great potential to be increased further.

Therefore, he said, he would make maximum efforts to futher cement Indonesia-Vietnam relations.

According to the embassy, Minister Marty also met with his counterpart, Pham Gia Khiem during the visit.

Marty had not only used the occasion to tighten their partnership but also to discuss various issues to increase the two countries' relations and cooperation in various regional and international forums.

During the meeting Minister Marty said the two countries' relations would be increased not only based upon traditional relations which had been good but also because of Vietnam's great potentials.

The relations had to be exploited to boost cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade, investment, tourism, security especially on the two countries' borders, fishery and among the two countries' communities.

He said Vietnam had proven and demonstrated its responsibility when, together with Indonesia, it became a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council.

He said he believed Vietnam would be able to lead Asean to progress especially now when the organization was facing a defining moment.

He said Indonesia would fight so that an Asean representative would be able to sit in the G-20 in 2010. If it was successful it would be significant to Vietnam which as the Asean chair would then represent Asean in the grouping.

Marty's visit to Vietnam was part of his tour of Asean member countries to introduce himself as the new foreign minister of Indonesia.

He has been to Manila before going to Vietnam and is scheduled to go to Bangkok soon.***4***