Australia, Vietnam fete 48 years of robust partnership

Officials said Australia and Vietnam are strategic partners with a relationship built on mutual respect and deep two-way links.

In 2019, the prime ministers of both countries agreed to take further their trade and investment relationship, to become top ten trading partners and to double two-way investment.

These goals will be supported by the newly announced A$232 million Mekong-Australia Partnership that will support economic integration and resilience across the five countries of the Mekong subregion.

Australia and Vietnam also enjoy a strong security partnership, with the former supporting Vietnamese deployments to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, taking the candidates aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-170 Hercules jet.

Knowledge and innovation remain an important part of the partnership, speakers said on Wednesday. There are more than 70,000 Australian alumni in Vietnam, and Australian tertiary institutions such as RMIT, Swinburne, and Western Sydney University are also fortifying their presence in Vietnam.

On behalf of the HCMC administration, Tran Phuoc Anh, Acting Director General of the HCMC Department of External Relations, praised the mutual support that Australia and Vietnam have demonstrated at regional and international fora for advocating prosperity, peace and development in the Indo-Pacific region.

Anh also expressed gratitude for Australia’s contribution of A$10.5 million to support Vietnam’s recovery from COVID-19, as well as a pledge to support Vietnam’s access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines through the A$523 million Indo-Pacific vaccines and health security initiative.

Australian Consul-General Julianne Cowley remarked: “We have seen 48 years of deep and continued cooperation across the many areas of our bilateral relationship. Our capacity to work together is enormous. Our partnership is full of potential and opportunities. I look forward to more years of prosperous cooperation to come.”