Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and newly-appointed Australian Ambassador Robyn Mudie (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hasasked newly-appointed Australian Ambassador Robyn Mudie to foster the exchangeof high-ranking delegations and meetings in a bid to enhance political trustand comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
At a receptionfor the Australian diplomat in Hanoi on February 19, Ngan thanked Mudie andAustralian agencies for their coordination and contributions to the success of anofficial visit to Vietnam by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in August2019, as well as Vietnamese NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong’s attendance at the28th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF)in Australia and her meeting with Vice President of the Australian Senate SueLines last January.
Ngan took thisoccasion to extend her sympathy over great losses in humans, property andenvironment caused by recent forest fires in Australian states, expressing herbelief that local residents will surmount the consequences of the incidents.
The NAChairwoman also voiced her hope that Vietnam and Australia will closelycooperate and increase the sharing of information and experience to wellcontrol the acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19),as the two countries have reported similar numbers of infection and recoverycases.
The toplegislator expected that the two sides will soon complete the building of a programmeof action to deploy the Strategic Partnership for 2020-2023 and embark on theconstruction of an enhanced economic engagement strategy with the aim ofbecoming the top ten trade partner of each other and doubling the flow of investment,and initially bringing two-way trade to 10 billion USD this year.
For her part, Mudie,who once worked in Vietnam in 1992, pledged to spare no efforts to fulfil tasksduring her term of office, thereby contributing to the Australia-Vietnamrelations.
She spoke highlyof Vietnam’s efforts to fight COVID-19 as the country has a larger population thanAustralia’s and it is near the outbreak’s epicentre.
The Vietnamvisit by Australian PM Morrison last year was a success and helped tostrengthen cooperative ties in various fields, she said, adding that Australiawill support Vietnam’s economic reform, infrastructure development and women’s economicempowerment.
Australiapledged to continue assisting Vietnam when the country takes over major roles ininternational relations, especially as Vietnam assumes the non-permanentmembership of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021 and Chair ofASEAN this year, Mudie affirmed.
Australia willwork to foster cooperation relations between the two parliaments throughparliamentary friendship groups and programmes on raising capacity ofparliamentarians, the ambassador added./.
VNA
