Australia attaches importance to relations with Vietnam: expert
The official three-day visit, starting on August 21, to Vietnam by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, to co-chair the 5th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the two countries, shows that the Oceania nation attaches importance to the strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian country, Nguyen Hong Hai, Senior Lecturer from VinUniversity, has said.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong at a meeting last year. (Photo: VNA)
Sydney (VNA) – The official three-dayvisit, starting on August 21, to Vietnam by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, to co-chair the 5th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the two countries, sℱhows that the Oceania nation attaches importance to the strategicpartnership with the Southeast Asian country, Nguyen Hong Hai, Senior Lecturer from VinUniversity, has said.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam NewsAgency, Hai, who is an adjunct senior lecturer of policy and politics at the Faculty of CreativeIndustries, Education and Social Justice under Queensland University ofTechnology’s School of Justice, said this is Wong's second official visit toVietnam and her 4th meeting with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son since shebecame foreign minister in May last year. The visit comes as the two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations and five years of strategic partnership this year, he added. Last year, two-way trade turnoverbetween Vietnam and Australia reached a new record of 15.7 billion USD, up26.91% year-on-year. Vietnam has become Australia's 10th biggest trade partner for the first time, and Australia is currently Vietnam's seventh largest trade partner. Accordingto the expert, moreVietnamese and Australian visitors are coming in both directions. Statistics from the Ministry ofCulture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam showed that before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,Vietnam welcomed 300,000Australian visitors and 125,000Vietnamese tourists went to Australia.
Inthe first quarter of this year alone, nearly 82,000 Australian visitors arrived inVietnam, an increase of 14.4% compared to the figure in 2019, whereas the number ofVietnamese visitors to Australia made up 10% of the outbound visitors, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
To pr♛omote trade and investment to a levelthat matches up with potentials and the strategic partnership, the twocountries have signed agreements and founded several me꧅chanisms.
Both Vietnamand Australia are members of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free TradeAgreement (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),and the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). However, what has been done thus far isinsufficient to accelerate a breakthrough in trade, business, investment, and tourism growth from both sides. More favourable conditions and simplified customsprocedures are required to promote more liberalised flows of trade and toremove barriers that hinder thetraveling of the citizens, Hai said. During talks in her first visit toVietnam last year, leading officials of the two ministries agreed to step up cooperation in the fieldsof tourism, education and labour in the post-pandemic era. Currently, the two countriesare finding ways to makea speedy recovery for the tourism industry which was severely affected by the pandemic while minimising the impact of the conflicts in Ukraine on trade. According to Hai, it was necessary for Vietnam and Australia to strengthen security cooperation and bordercontrol with advanced identification technologies, and hold constructive and candid dialogues as trustedstrategic partners to address each other’s concerns. He stressed that if the two sides adopt a visa exemption policy for each other’scitizens, it will be areal breakthrough, contributing to further strengthening the cooperationrelationship in the coming time./.
Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai, a researcher at the Centre for Policy Futures under the University of Queensland in Australia, has noted that the freshly-concluded visit to Vietnam by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was a success, as reflected through the agreements reached by the two sides on both bilateral and multilateral issues.
The official Vietnam visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been a success, a sign that bilateral relationship will continue to flourish in the future, said co-founder of the Australia-Vietnam Policy Institute Layton Pike.
A Vietnam-Australia business forum was held in Sydney on June 27 to help Vietnamese enterprises know more about the Australian market and connect them with businesses in this Oceania country.
Vietnam is the largest cotton importer of Australia with 38.8% of the market share, according to the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) which predicted that Vietnam will hold this position in following years.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the Central Public Security Party Committee must be fully aware of the extremely important role of the People's Public Security force in the country's new revolutionary phase, so as to guide each branch and level of the force as the nation undergoes transformation.
Addressing concerns over university education spending, Son explained that as public universities gain greater autonomy, the Ministry of Finance has scaled back recurrent state funding. “Over the past decade, as autonomy has increased, the State's support has steadily declined”, he noted
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed that the presence of Vietnamese press offices in Laos vividly demonstrates the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, as the press is not only a means of communication but also an important bridge for spreading consciousness about the history, values, and strategic depth of the Laos – Vietnam relationship to the people of both countries and the international community.
The country is willing to participate in collective efforts to promote cooperation and mobilise resources to advance the current priority issues of developing countries, such as trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, making the most of scientific and technological advances for development, and people-to-people exchanges, Hang said.
During the negotiations, the US highly evaluated Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts, affirmed its appreciation for the bilateral relationship, acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and concerns, and considered these an important basis for continuing discussions and moving towards a final agreement.
The Chairman stressed the need for stricter fiscal discipline, faster digital transformation, and more efficient management of State budget revenues and expenditures.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (right) and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong at a meeting last year. (Photo: VNA) 
