Australian Senate President appreciates bilateral relations with Vietnam

Sydney (VNA) – The new President of the Australian Senate, Sue Lines, affirmed that Australia always attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam while receiving Ambassador Nguyen Tat Thanh on September 27.

She expressed her delight at outstanding development steps of the Australia-Vietnam Strategic Partnership, especially in economic cooperation, parliamentary diplomacy, and people-to-people exchanges.

Lines affirmed she will continue supporting Australia’s relations with Vietnam as she did when she was Vice President of the Senate, stressing that the two countries still hold much potential to further develop their ties.

The Senate President also said she is delighted at the cooperation between the two countries’ localities, especially the achievements in the collaboration of her home state, Western Australia, with the Vietnamese southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. She added that she is looking forward to the opening of more direct flights between the two nations, especially with Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

For his part, Thanh noted with pleasure that two-way trade grew by nearly 40% in the first eight months of 2022, making Australia the seventh largest trading partner of Vietnam and Vietnam the 10th biggest trading partner of Australia for the first time.

He showed his hope that the Australia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group will soon be set up to coordinate in boosting parliamentary cooperation.

The two sides agreed to foster collaboration between the two parliaments towards the celebration of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.

Lines said she hopes to soon welcome the Vietnamese National Assembly's leaders to visit Australia and affirmed that she will consider visiting Vietnam at an appropriate time./.