Canberra (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam held a meeting with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick in Canberra on August 11.
Welcoming General Secretary and President Lam and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, the Australian parliamentary leaders spoke highly of Vietnam’s development achievements and expressed their admiration for the dynamism and creativity of the country and its people, particularly young Vietnamese. They said this energy and determination reflected Vietnam’s strong resolve and aspiration to build a prosperous and powerful nation.
General Secretary and President Lam conveyed National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man’s greetings to the Australian Senate President and House Speaker, and praised the important role played by the two chambers in shaping key policies on economic development, energy transition, future industries, defence and security, and social welfare. He also acknowledged the positive contributions of the Australian Parliament to strengthening bilateral relations.
The Vietnamese Party and State leader stressed that Vietnam-Australia relations are developing strongly on the basis of trust, shared interests and a common vision of a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous region. Amid complex international and regional developments, consolidating the partnership between the two countries has become increasingly important, serving not only the practical interests of their peoples but also contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Against this backdrop, the Vietnamese leader called on the legislative bodies of the two countries to continue playing their role as bridges between the two peoples, maintain exchanges at all levels and strengthen cooperation among parliamentary committees, friendship parliamentarians’ groups, women and young parliamentarians, as well as local lawmakers. Such exchanges, he said, will help build political trust, share legislative and governance experience and translate high-level agreements into concrete outcomes.
He said Vietnam has established a new development model centred on productivity, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, high-quality human resources and modern governance. He proposed that the Australian Senate and House of Representatives continue supporting Vietnam in institutional improvement, administrative reform, digital government development and the creation of a favourable legal environment for businesses, investment and new growth drivers.
The two sides should also expand cooperation in education, research, vocational training and recognition of qualifications, while sharing experience in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to parliamentary activities, thereby contributing to improving the quality of legislation and oversight and enhancing governance efficiency.
Both sides agreed that education and training remain a key pillar of bilateral cooperation and that collaboration between universities should be further strengthened. Australian parliamentary leaders thanked Vietnam for creating favourable conditions for RMIT University to expand its operations in the country.
The Australian Senate President and House Speaker noted that Vietnam and Australia share many common interests and priorities, particularly in promoting sustainable growth, digital and green transitions, education, science and technology, and strengthening resilience to emerging challenges. They highlighted significant potential for the two countries’ legislatures to make more practical contributions to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Australian parliamentary leaders welcomed General Secretary and President Lam for his proposals on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy, affirming their readiness to promote exchanges between the two legislative bodies, foster engagement among parliamentarians of different generations and share experience in legislation and governance.
The two sides agreed that the Vietnamese community of around 350,000 people in Australia, along with 170,000 former students and alumni who studied there and some 35,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in Australia, form strong and enduring links between the two countries.
The Vietnamese leader called on the Australian Parliament and Government to facilitate the issuance of study, tourism and work visas for Vietnamese citizens. He also expressed Vietnam’s readiness to provide skilled workers in areas where Australia faces demand, particularly as the country steps up preparations for the 2032 Olympic Games.
The two sides agreed to continue coordinating and supporting each other at multilateral parliamentary forums, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). They also agreed to promote multilateralism, respect for international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and beyond./.
