President Truong Tan Sang on May 23 met visiting Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Anna Burke in Hanoi, affirming that the Vietnamese Government will do its utmost to back the two legislative bodies to further their cooperation.

He said he believes that Burke’s visit will significantly contribute to boosting diplomatic ties between the two countries. He lauded the signing of a new cooperation agreement between the parliaments of Australia and Vietnam .

The President highly valued the bilateral ties which have been flourishing for 40 years, demonstrated by high-level meetings and effective cooperation in all fields.

He thanked the Australian Government for providing ODA for infrastructure and social welfare improvement projects in Vietnam and in the Mekong Delta region.

Sang also noted that the two sides have coordinated with and supported each other at various forums such as ASEAN, ASEM and APEC, joining hands in building an international and regional environment of peace, stability and development.

Stressing that the Vietnamese Government always pays much attention to the Vietnamese community in Australia , Sang voiced his hope that the Australian House, State and people will continue creating conditions for Vietnamese people to make contributions to the development of the host country.

For her part, Burke affirmed the importance of the Asia-Pacific region, especially Southeast Asia, as well as the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam in Australia foreign policies.

As a lawmaker representing a region that is home to many Vietnamese Australians, she highly valued the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia .

The Speaker pledged to actively implement the signed agreements with Vietnam ’s National Assembly, emphasising that her nation wants to strengthen delegation exchanges of all levels between the two countries and legislative bodies to deepen the relationship between Vietnam and Australia .

During her stay in Vietnam , Burke has visited a number of socio-economic establishments in Vietnam and is impressed with the effective coordination among relevant agencies of both countries in implementing cooperation programmes, she said.

Regarding the outcomes of her talks with National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and the meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, she expressed her belief that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries will further develop.-VNA