Manila (VNA) - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung had meetings with Lao, Philippine, Singaporean and Australian leaders in Manila, the Philippines on November 15 on the sidelines of the 49th ASEAN Summit and related summits.
At their meetings, PM Hung and Lao Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong exchanged views on the situation in their respective countries, development priorities, issues of shared concern, and opportunities and challenges amid new developments in the region and the world.
Building on the firm foundations of friendship and cooperation, the leaders discussed directions for strengthening collaboration, particularly in infrastructure connectivity, energy, electricity, digital transformation and other areas with potential.
They touched upon obstacles in implementing cooperation, differences in each country’s development conditions and needs, and ways to seek appropriate solutions, address challenges and facilitate the implementation of cooperation programmes and projects.
Meeting PM Albanese, PM Hung thanked the Australian Government and people for the warm and thoughtful reception accorded to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam during his state visit to Australia in August 2026.
Noting that the visit provided fresh impetus and direction for bilateral relations, he said the Vietnamese Government is directing ministries, sectors and localities to promptly implement its outcomes.
PM Albanese praised Vietnam’s proactive approach, noting that the early implementation of agreements will help make the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership increasingly substantive.
PM Hung expressed his hope for the two sides to continue strengthening political trust and strategic confidence. He took the occasion to invite PM Albanese to visit Vietnam again soon, attend the 2027 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and send Australian leaders to the fourth ASEAN Future Forum. PM Albanese affirmed that Australia stands ready to coordinate with, support and assist Vietnam in successfully hosting APEC 2027.
On economic cooperation, the Vietnamese leader proposed that the two countries work towards the target of raising bilateral trade to 20 billion USD and doubling two-way investment. He expressed his hope that Australia will continue to maintain stable supplies of energy, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and strategic minerals, while removing barriers to facilitate market access for goods from both countries.
He called for expanded cooperation in high technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, biomedicine, marine research and green hydrogen, affirming Vietnam’s commitment to creating a favourable policy and legal environment for Australian businesses and investors to operate in the country over the long term.
The Australian PM spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements and new development orientations, saying they offered numerous opportunities for cooperation. Highlighting Vietnam’s important place in Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, he said Australia encouraged major businesses and investment funds to explore opportunities in Vietnam and agreed to promote cooperation in areas where the two countries have strengths and complementary needs.
Regarding defence and peacekeeping, PM Hung thanked Australia for supporting Vietnam’s deployment of personnel to United Nations missions and called on both sides to effectively implement their defence and peacekeeping cooperation agreements.
He expressed his hope that Australia will continue sharing information, data and memorabilia related to Vietnamese soldiers during the war, contributing to the 500-day campaign to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers.
PM Albanese affirmed that Australia values defence cooperation with Vietnam and stands ready to work together on practical initiatives of humanitarian significance.
The two leaders agreed to step up cooperation in science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. They held that these fields offer significant opportunities but also require the two countries to strengthen experience-sharing and coordinate efforts to address emerging challenges.
They also agreed to continue promoting cooperation in education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, which serve as lasting bridges between their peoples, particularly younger generations.
The two PMs exchanged views on issues of shared concern and affirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination and comprehensive information-sharing.
On international and regional developments, they agreed to strengthen consultations within multilateral mechanisms such as ASEAN, the United Nations and APEC.
They reaffirmed their support for ASEAN centrality and efforts to help Myanmar find an early way out of its difficulties.
They highlighted the importance of ensuring maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation, and promoting an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Both sides pledged to contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world./.
VNA
