Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam on June 23 hosted a reception for Logan K. Howlett, Mayor of the City of Cockburn, Western Australia, during which the latter expressed his desire to promote collaboration with the Southeast Asian country.
At the event, Tam laid stress on Vietnam's active pursuit of trade relationship diversification, noting Australia's increasing importance as a partner for Vietnamese investors and businesses. Both nations participate in multiple regional trade agreements, creating favourable conditions for enhanced bilateral cooperation.
Some 37,000 Vietnamese students are enrolling in Australian high schools and universities, positioning Vietnam among the top five source countries for international students in Australia, he said, adding Vietnam possesses a contingent of skilled engineers and construction workers who were recruited in demanding markets, representing a valuable human resources that could support Cockburn's infrastructure development needs.
Additionally, Vietnamese glass manufacturing companies have expressed interest in importing coal from Australia, he stated.
Ambassador Tam identified potential cooperation opportunities beyond maritime and shipbuilding sectors, including education, sending Vietnam's highly skilled workforce to Cockburn, and coal trade. He also stressed that within the framework of the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, people-to-people exchanges and local cooperation have been priorities, expressing his hope that Cockburn considers establishing twinning relationships with suitable Vietnamese partners.
Highlighting Cockburn’s development potential and strengths in the domains of maritime, shipbuilding, health care, and heavy industry, Howlett said that Cockburn has been designated as the future home of Australia's strategic submarine maintenance facility, while the University of Western Australia is planning to establish an advanced ocean technology research centre in the city. These developments are expected to create substantial employment opportunities for international graduates, particularly in engineering and construction disciplines.
Cockburn has set up cooperation relationships with several Southeast Asian nations including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, while also holding twinning partnerships with Yueyang city in China's Hunan Province and Mobile, Alabama in the US.
He added that he will lead a delegation of about 25 enterprises in diverse sectors, from education and trade to maritime industries, to Vietnam in early 2026. They will visit visit industrial zones in Da Nang, where a Cockburn-based shipbuilding company is operating./.
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