Chief of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) Vice Admiral Irvansyah  met with Commander of Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) Region 3, Major General Ngo Binh Minh at the Bakamla Headquarters in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

The meeting was part of a reciprocal courtesy call by General Minh following the Port Visit of Bakamla’s KN Pulau Dana-323 ship to Vietnam in October 2024, which featured various joint cultural, sports and military exercise events. This engagement further strengthened maritime cooperation between the Indonesian and Vietnamese coast guards.

In his remarks, Irvansyah expressed appreciation for the strong ties between Bakamla and VCG, which have been formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Maritime Security and Safety signed on December 28, 2021, and extended diplomatically on January 5, 2025, for another three years.

Cooperation covers a wide range of areas including capacity building; information exchange; maritime search and rescue operations; combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF); as well as other maritime law enforcement activities.

Irvansyah underscored the importance of VCG’s support for the formalization of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF). Both Indonesia and Vietnam have actively participated in the forum, including the most recent meeting in Pattaya, Thailand. He expressed hope that VCG would continue to back ASEAN’s consensus on the Terms of Reference and Concept Paper as a strategic step to strengthen regional coast guard cooperation.

He also highlighted the positive milestone reached between Indonesia and Vietnam in resolving the pending status of their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary in 2022. He voiced optimism that the ratification process of the RI–Vietnam EEZ Bill would proceed smoothly, thereby supporting maritime law enforcement efforts in the border area.

Concluding his remarks, Irvansyah reaffirmed Bakamla’s commitment to maintaining close cooperation with VCG through ongoing and upcoming programs. Further bilateral discussions will be led by Bakamla Deputy for Policy and Strategy, Vice Admiral Didong Rio Duta, to address the implementation of future cooperation steps.

The meeting marked an important milestone in strengthening Indonesia–Vietnam maritime relations, particularly in safeguarding regional maritime security and safety.