Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan (left) and Governor General of Australian David Hurley. (Photo: VNA) Sydney (VNA) – Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan is making a working trip to Australia from December 1-5 at the invitation of the Australian government.
Nhan made a courtesy visit to the Governor General of Australian David Hurley on December 3, during which he expressed appreciation of Australia’s support for Vietnam regarding UN peacekeeping activities.
Australia sent aircraft to transport Vietnam’s peacekeeping personnel and equipment to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in October last year, and Vietnam’s level-two field hospital No.2 on November 26 this year.
The HCM City leader asked the Governor General to help with promoting the ties between HCM City and states of Australia. He said HCM City hopes to expand cooperation with Australia in infrastructure, health care, finance, innovative startup and artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Nhan, Australia can also consider cooperation with the Mekong Delta.
The Governor General stressed that the Australia-Vietnam relationship is at its best now. He said Australia is seeking to expand cooperation and welcomed the suggestions made by the HCM City leader.
On December 2, Secretary Nhan met with Governor of New South Wales Margaret Beazley and the state’s Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
During the meetings, Nhan expressed his joy at the growing Vietnam-Australia ties across the fields, especially after the two countries raised their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2018.
He affirmed that HCM City considers New South Wales state an important partner, adding that the signing of an MoU on establishing friendly and cooperative relations between the two sides in April this year was an important first step for them to implement pragmatic joint programmes.
The HCM City official suggested that the two sides work together in vocational training, tourism and food processing, which are the strengths of New South Wales.
He also proposed organizing innovative startup fairs, to be hosted by HCM City and New South Wales on a rotational basis. The idea received support from Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who said she wants the two sides also expand cooperation in hi-tech agriculture. New South Wales is willing to buy hi-tech agricultural products, especially fruit, from HCM City, she said.
Governor Margaret Beazley also welcomed stronger cooperation between New South Wales and HCM City./.
VNA
