Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott in Brunei on October 10, on the sidelines of the 23rd ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

PM Dung affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to further strengthening the comprehensive partnership with Australia to benefit both countries and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development.
 
The PM suggested that the two sides should hold negotiation towards an early signing of an agreement on mutual judicial assistance and a holiday working programme.

He asked the Australian side to facilitate Vietnamese agri-aquatic products’ access to the country’s market.
The Vietnamese PM also called on Australia to continue backing ASE AN’s stance on the East Sea issue as well as the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures and in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On his part, PM Abbot said the friendship between the two countries has benefited both sides. He affirmed that Australia hopes to promote the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, especially in security-defence, economics, development assistance, education-training, and the application of science and technology to environment management.

The Australian PM suggested the two sides continue working closely together at international forums and in the fields of sea security, trust building, conflict prevention and humanitarian aid.-VNA