The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Indonesia ate pho and walked around Hoan Kiem Lake together

“Let’s go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air in Hanoi this morning,” Minister Bui Thanh Son told Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi after having breakfast together.

Admire Vietnam’s efforts to preserve heritage

Pho, fish noodles, black coffee – typical Vietnamese dishes that Mr. Bui Thanh Son invited to Ms. Retno Marsudi. The Indonesian female foreign minister seemed interested in the offered dishes and happily chatted with the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the cool weather of Hanoi after the morning rain, the two ministers walked through some streets of the capital and Hoan Kiem Lake. As they walked, the two talked about many issues.

Standing on The Huc Bridge and looking out into the distance, Minister Bui Thanh Son introduced to Ms. Retno Marsudi the history of Ngoc Son Temple and Sword Lake.

The Indonesian female minister also asked a lot about the projects along the way and admired Vietnam’s preservation and restoration around Sword Lake – one of the symbols of the capital Hanoi.

“The conversation was very friendly. She has also been foreign minister for nearly 10 years,” Mr. Bui Thanh Son shared after the meeting.

After breakfast, Minister Bui Thanh Son and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi co-chaired the 5th meeting of the Vietnam – Indonesia Bilateral Cooperation Committee at the Government Guest House.

Indonesia’s first female foreign minister

As a veteran Indonesian diplomat, Ms. Retno Marsudi has served nearly 10 years as foreign minister, also the first woman to hold this position in Indonesia.

She was entrusted with this responsibility when Mr. Joko Widodo took office as president in October 2014. During that time, Ms. Retno Marsudi has become a familiar representative face of Indonesia in many regional and international conferences.

Even though she does not belong to any party, being still in use for a long time shows the ability of female Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Due to the provisions of the Indonesian Constitution, Mr. Widodo cannot run for re-election after two consecutive 5-year terms. His successor, Mr. Prabowo Subianto, will officially take office next October.

This is not the first time Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son invited a foreign counterpart to breakfast and a walk around the city.

Last August, on the occasion of accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on an official visit to Vietnam, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan reunited with Minister Bui Thanh Son at a pho restaurant in Hanoi.

The two diplomats then went out to the sidewalk, chatted over a cup of egg coffee and looked at the streets.

Such activities have contributed to bringing Vietnamese cuisine closer to international friends, while also showing diplomats’ pride in their country’s culture.

Some pictures from the breakfast meeting of the two ministers:

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi paid an official visit to Vietnam on April 24 and 25. However, she had come to Hanoi before to attend the ASEAN Future Forum, the first event held with ASEAN as the main subject.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 23, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi expressed complete agreement and support for Vietnam’s profound vision of the future of ASEAN.

She also said that Indonesia will soon allow the export of lobster seeds to Vietnam and strengthen cooperation in new fields such as green economy, digital economy, circular economy, renewable energy, semiconductor technology, electric car industry, electric vehicle battery production,…

Promoting electric vehicle battery joint ventures in Vietnam and Indonesia