Vietnam expects Australia to increase ODA provision, open more direct air routes

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Thanh made the proposal during her meeting with Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn in Canberra on September 13, as part of her ongoing visit to Australia.

Thanh thanked Australia for its valuable and timely support to Vietnam to address the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, saying such assistance serves as a significant source of encouragement and motivation for the country and its people in the current circumstances.

Both host and guest noted that after more than 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023), Vietnam – Australia relations have made remarkable progress, through maintaining more than 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms in key areas, yielding many positive results. They highly valued the active cooperation and mutual support between Vietnam and Australia at regional and international forums, such as ASEAN, the United Nations, and on the East Sea issue.

Thanh expressed her gratitude to Australia for supporting Vietnam’s hosting of APEC 2027, and hoped that Australia would continue to support Vietnam’s candidacy for various UN mechanisms in the future.

During the meeting, Thanh suggested that both sides continue to enhance visit exchanges, effectively and substantively implement existing agreements, and work together to formulate the Action Program for implementing the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period 2024-2027.

She praised the two countries for approving the Enhance Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES), and suggested that both sides intensify efforts to achieve the trade target of US$20 billion and to double bilateral investment. She hoped that Australia would open its market to Vietnamese agricultural and seafood products, starting with shrimp and pomelo.

Vietnam will continue to facilitate investments from Australian enterprises and large investment funds in the country, she assured her host.

Regarding education and training cooperation, the Vice Chairwoman requested that Australia continue to provide opportunities for Vietnamese students to study in the country following the implementation of new international education regulations due to come into effect in December 2024 and increase the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students.

On the East Sea issue, Thanh appreciated Australia’s stance and requested close coordination and support for Vietnam and ASEAN’s principled positions. She called for ongoing exchanges and coordination of positions and enhanced cooperation in maritime security, fisheries, and combating transnational crime.

The Vice Chairwoman also expressed the desire for Governor-General Sam Mostyn and the Australian Government to continue supporting and facilitating the lives of Vietnamese expatriates in Australia, helping them to integrate, preserve their cultural identity, contribute to the Australian economy, and serve as a bridge between the two countries.

Emphasizing the importance of the Vietnam-Australia relationship, Mostyn for her part noted that cooperation between localities is one of the highlights of bilateral relations. She acknowledged the significant contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia and their active role in spreading the positive values of Vietnam to local population.

At the end of the meeting, Thanh extended an invitation from General Secretary and President To Lam to Governor-General Sam Mostyn to visit Vietnam, and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.

Earlier, on September 12, Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh met with Australian Senate President Sue Lines and held talks with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chair of the Australia-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, Sharon Claydon, at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra.

During these meetings, the two sides discussed specific measures to enhance parliamentary cooperation between the two countries in the coming period. They agreed to increase visit exchanges to exchange information and share experiences in parliamentary activities, particularly in institutional development, legal system improvement, and oversight of law enforcement.

They agreed to increase consultations and support each other on regional issues of mutual interest at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF).

They consented to enhance economic connectivity, ensure sustainable supply chains, and address critical issues such as maritime security, energy security, food security, and water security, while working towards narrowing development gaps, especially supporting the Mekong sub-region, building a green economy, responding to climate change, fostering innovation, transitioning to clean energy, and promoting sustainable agriculture.