Sydney (VNA) - A high-level delegation from Vietnam, consisting of 23 members from ministries, sectors, and localities, led by Assoc. Prof., Dr. Hoang Phuc Lam, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA), is participating in a research exchange programme on sharing leadership and governance experiences in Australia from August 26 to September 1.

The course, part of a training programme for Vietnam’s strategic and key officials, is organised by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in collaboration with the HCMA and comes under the Vietnam-Australia Centre project.

Welcoming the delegation in its visit to the University of Melbourne on August 26, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts said that Vietnam is a key and high-priority partner in Australia's overall foreign policy.

The upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership has created crucial opportunities for the two countries to undertake more strategic steps, including enhancing development cooperation as well as collaboration in areas such as economics, defence and security, digital transformation, circular economy, and innovation.

Receiving the delegation in Canberra on August 28, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michelle Chan briefed them on the outcomes of the 9th Vietnam-Australia diplomacy-defence dialogue which took place in Hanoi on August 26.

The two sides stressed that Vietnam and Australia share many similarities and have high strategic trust, which provides a solid foundation for further enhancing cooperation across various fields.

In the context of both Vietnam and Australia, as well as other countries in the region, facing significant challenges due to rising geopolitical tensions, they agreed on the need to further promote closer and more strategic cooperation within the framework of the new relationship in order to respond to common challenges, enhance exchanges and consultations to further concretise high-level agreements, and expand new areas of cooperation that align with their needs, potential, and interests.

💯 Within the framework of the programme, the Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to have meetings with representatives from the Department of Finance; the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW); the Digital Transformation Agency; and several other agencies; and visit some green and sustainable development models./.