NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue meets with Australian Prime Minister in Hanoi on June 4, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

The two leaders voiced their delight that Vietnam and Australia have built strategic trust and close cooperation in multiple spheres over the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. They shared the belief that bilateral ties will be elevated to a new level soon.

Chairman Hue shared his guest’s view that there remains much room for the two countries to enhance cooperation, noting on the basis of free trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), they can bolster trade and investment ties.

He suggested that aside from maintaining existing supply chains, the countries should create new ones to diversify their markets.

The Vietnamese parliament supports the two countries to strengthen trade and investment partnerships and hopes that more Australian investors will come to operate in Vietnam, he remarked.

PM Albanese welcomed his host’s recommendations for the two sides to hold more workshops, meetings, and events to share experience in adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and to increase exchanges to boost mutual understanding between the countries’ legislators and parliaments.

He said that in his position, he will help promote locality-to-locality ties so that both sides can record even better results.

Albanese went on to say that RMIT University has announced the next phase of its investment in education, research, and cooperation in Vietnam, including a strategic investment fund worth 250 million AUD (165.5 million USD).

Vietnam is the fifth biggest source of foreign students in Australia, which in turn is the second largest destination of Vietnamese students, he noted, adding that RMIT University is a role model of their education - training cooperation, and he hopes bilateral ties in this regard will grow more strongly in the future.

Applauding the collaboration in education and training, the top legislator of Vietnam said during his official visit to Australia last December, universities of both countries signed 12 cooperation agreements. He also welcomed RMIT University’s expansion of investment and cooperation in Vietnam.

Besides, Hue highlighted the opening of the Vietnam - Australia Centre at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, perceiving that it will help improve Vietnamese officials’ capacity. He also thanked the Australian Government for sponsoring a training course on climate change and energy for Vietnamese NA deputies and cadres of the NA Office.

The Chairman took this occasion to thank and ask the Australian Government and PM to continue creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate into the local society, and contribute more to the country’s socio-economic development as well as bilateral relations.

Vietnam always attaches importance to and highly values Australia’s role in the region and the world, he stressed, calling on Australia to keep advocating ASEAN and Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Albanese also affirmed that he will promote the sending of an Australian parliamentarians’ delegation to the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, scheduled to take place in Hanoi this September.