Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (R) receives Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on November 22 (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung met with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on November 22, asking the diplomat to further promote the two countries’ exchanges, especially economic and trade cooperation.
At the meeting in Hanoi, Deputy PM Dung said the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership is flourishing, affirming that Vietnam treasures this partnership and considers it a priority in its foreign policy.
Bilateral trade reached 7.7 billion USD in 2018, up 19.3 percent from 2017, with nearly 4 billion USD in exports and over 3.7 billion USD in imports by Vietnam. Australia now has 425 investment projects worth over 1.84 billion USD in the Southeast Asian nation, ranking 19th among the 128 foreign investors here. Meanwhile, Vietnam has poured 255.8 million USD into 47 projects in Australia, according to him.
The official appreciated Australia’s non-refundable official development assistance for various essential infrastructure projects in Vietnam, many of which have become symbols of bilateral cooperation like Cao Lanh and My Thuan bridges.
Believing that there remains much room for investment ties, the Deputy PM suggested Australian businesses invest in the fields Vietnam has demand in like agriculture, supporting industries, tourism and renewable energy.
He also asked the ambassador to further promote mutual visits and exchanges between senior leaders, localities and businesses of both sides, especially economic and trade partnerships.
The countries should strive to raise their trade to 10 billion USD in 2020 and become one of the top 10 trading partners of each other, Dung added.
At the meeting, the official also thanked Australia for consistently supporting Vietnam at international forums, expressing his hope for Australia’s close coordination when Vietnam acts as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021 and ASEAN Chair in 2020.
For her part, Mudie expressed her honour to serve as ambassador amid the thriving bilateral relations.
She noted many Australian investors are impressed with the investment and business facilitation policies implemented by the Vietnamese Government, and this condition will encourage both sides’ enterprises to expand investment and business activities in each other’s markets./.
VNA
