Foreign Minister co-chairs fourth meeting with Australian counterpart
Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of Foreign
Affairs Bui Thanh Son and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong co-chaired the
fourth Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Canberra on September
12.
They affirmed determination to strengthen bilateral
strategic partnership on the back of long-standing friendship and cooperation.
The two ministers shared the view that
bilateral ties have been growing in various areas. Trade and investment have
become a spotlight in bilateral ties with two-way trade hitting 9.6 billion USD
in seven months of this year, up nearly 40% annually. Progress has been seen in
anti-crimes, culture, education, tourism and labour.
They discussed ways to further deepen strategic
partnership, including holding visits at all levels and celebrations for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, bolstering bilateral economic-trade-investment
ties.
Son suggested Australia expand the supply of
official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam in new fields of demand, make
it easier for Vietnam’s agro-fisheries to enter Australia, firstly passion
fruit, pomelo and fresh shrimp.
Wong promised to offer all possible support to
Vietnamese firms to do business in Australia as well as step up mutually
beneficial cooperation in the fields of agriculture, clean energy and ODA.
About labour cooperation, they will revise the
Memorandum of Understanding on Agriculture Visa programme to suit new
situation.
On the occasion, Son suggested Australia
increase quota for Vietnamese citizens to Australia under the Working Holiday
Visa programme, as well as create conditions for the Vietnamese community in
Australia to contribute to bilateral ties.
Both sides mulled ways to consolidate ties in
traditional fields such as national defence-security, education-training and
tourism. They vowed to reinforce coordination in new fields like climate change
response, digital transformation, digital economy, energy and food security,
and workforce training.
On regional and global issues of shared
concern, they consented to continue offering mutual support at multilateral
organisations and forums, especially at ASEAN and the United Nations.
Wong affirmed that Australia treasures
comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN and ASEAN’s central role in the region.
She pledged to boost collaboration for the sub-Mekong region’s sustainable development
within the framework of the Mekong-Australia Partnership.
Both ministers also agreed to intensify cooperation at sea to maintain peace and stability in the region and the East
Sea./.