Canberra (VNA) – Vietnam prioritisesdeveloping cooperation and friendship with countries, while further deepeningrelations with its key partners, including Australia, National Assembly (NA)Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has affirmed.

The top legislator made the statement during her talks with Speaker ofAustralia’s House of Representatives Tony Smith and Senate President Scott Ryanin Canberra on November 29 as part of her ongoing official visit to Australia.

The Vietnam NA backs the early upgrade of the Vietnam-Australia relationship toa strategic partnership, Ngan said, hailing effective economic cooperationbetween the two countries.

She noted that Australia is Vietnam’s eighth largest trade partner with two-waytrade expanding by 10 percent a year. Australia is among Vietnam’s largestnon-refundable official development assistance (ODA) providers, significantlycontributing to raising livelihood, reducing poverty, improving the environmentand promoting equality in the country.

To enhance the economic ties, the NA Chairwoman suggested the two sides make itclear contents of the economic partnership mechanism in order to roll out acooperation plan with specific activities within 3-5 years.

Ngan expressed her hope that Australian enterprises will step up investment andcooperation with Vietnam in such areas as high-tech agriculture, husbandry,energy, telecommunication, finance-banking, mining and manufacturing.

She called on the Australian side to share its management experience andtransfer technologies in coal mining, red mud treatment and environmental protectionto Vietnam.

The Vietnamese top legislator urged the two countries to increase bilateraltrade towards a balance and lift trade barriers, striving to raise thebilateral trade value to 10 billion USD in the time to come.

She suggested Australia think twice before deciding to conduct investigationsinto trade protection so as to avoid adverse impacts on the economic links,while calling on the country to provide technical assistance for Vietnam tohelp the country meet new import requirements set by Australia, making iteasier for Vietnamese agricultural products and seafood to access theAustralian market.    

Ngan also appealed to Australia to continue its ODA to Vietnam, focusing oninfrastructure, agriculture and rural development, poverty reduction, climatechange response and high-quality human resource development.

Noting with joy effective collaboration in national defence-security and thefight against crimes and illegal migration, the NA Chairwoman proposed the twosides continue consultation and support each other at regional forums,especially at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

She thanked Australia for sharing its experience in anti-terrorism andpeace-keeping operations, as well as cooperation in searching for Vietnamesesoldiers missing in action.

Ngan called for Australia’s further support in implementing the memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) on dealing with post-war bomb and mine consequences. 

She urged Vietnam and Australia to continue their affiliation in combatingcross-border crimes, terrorists and human traffickers, as well as illegalborder crossings, along with implementing the MoU on the return of Vietnamesewith no legal right to stay in Australia signed in 2016 in a cooperative spiritand with goodwill.

Vietnam wishes to join hands with Australia in science, technology andinnovation in order to adapt to new trends in the world, address urgent issuesand cope with climate change, she said.

The NA Chairman suggested Australia provide more scholarships for Vietnamesestudents and expand its educational collaboration with the country underdifferent reforms, and hailed the implementation of the vacation-labourprogramme on March 1, 2017.

Regarding bilateral legislative ties, Ngan urged the two countries’ legislativebodies to intensify delegation exchange at different levels, coordinate insupervising the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the twoGovernments, exchange information about parliamentary activities in respectivecountries, and enhance role and activities of friendship parliamentarians’groups.

Ngan’s proposals were accepted by the Australian leaders, who said her visit isof significance, contributing to strengthening the enhanced comprehensivepartnership between the two countries, towards a strategic partnership in 2018.

They lauded achievements Vietnam has recorded over the past time, includingthose in improving people’s living standards and spurring economic growth.

Speaker Smith affirmed that Australia will continue its ODA for Vietnam, coveringprojects on infrastructure development, noting his hope that Vietnam will paymore attention to enhancing capacity and leadership of women.

President of the Senate Ryan described education as a spotlight of bilateralcooperation with an increasing number of Vietnamese students in Australia inrecent years.

Australia will offer more scholarships to regional students, including thosefrom Vietnam, within the framework of the New Colombo Plan, he said.

During the talks, the two sides also discussed regional and internationalissues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue.

They stressed the significance of maintaining peace, stability, security,aviation and navigation freedom and safety in the region, and handling disputesby peaceful measures, in line with international law.

Following the talks, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull directly calledNA Chairwoman Ngan, informing that he cannot return home as scheduled to greet herdue to unexpected issues during his working trip. -VNA