Canberra (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam attended a ceremony in Canberra on August 11 to inaugurate Vietnam House and meet with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Australia and Solomon Islands, as part of his State visit to Australia.
Reporting to General Secretary and President Lam, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam said the Vietnam House will serve diplomatic, cultural and community activities. It is the first Vietnam House in Australia and the South Pacific region, serving as a common home for the Vietnamese community and a space to preserve the Vietnamese language, promote Vietnamese culture and nurture younger generations’ attachment to their roots. It will also help Australians gain a better understanding of Vietnam and its people, he said.
The ambassador said Vietnamese representative agencies in Australia have contributed to implementing 96% of action lines under the Action Plan for the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2024-2027. The Vietnamese community in Australia has also made significant contributions to the bilateral ties. Businesspeople, intellectuals, experts and students have strengthened solidarity, supported Vietnamese representative agencies and engaged in activities contributing to national development and cooperation between the two countries, he added.
Tran Ba Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, said the community is proud of its national roots and pleased with Vietnam’s development achievements. He expressed his confidence that Vietnam-Australia relations will continue to reach new heights and become increasingly substantive, effective and sustainable.
He went on saying that the association will work with the Vietnamese Embassy to build a stronger and more united community, serving as a bridge between businesses of the two countries and promoting trade and investment, technology transfer, innovation and high-quality human resources development.
Prof. Dr Chu Hoang Long, Director of the Vietnam Policy Research Centre at the Australian National University, expressed his appreciation for Vietnam’s determination to pursue long-term development strategies and aspirations for rapid and sustainable growth and a stronger international standing.
In recent times, Vietnamese scientists in Australia have strived to carry out scientific research projects serving Vietnam’s socio-economic development and share knowledge with domestic partners, while expressing a desire for closer cooperation with Vietnam, he said.
Talking to the community, General Secretary and President Lam said during his visit, he and Australian leaders discussed measures to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Australia. He asked Australian authorities to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate further and make greater contributions to the host country’s economic and social development.
Briefing the community on the domestic situation, he said that after more than four decades of Doi Moi (Renewal), Vietnam has emerged as one of the world’s dynamic and fast-growing economies. In the first half of 2026, the country's GDP grew by 8.18%, while macroeconomic stability was maintained, social welfare ensured and people’s living standards improved.
He stressed that the Party and State consistently view the people as the foundation, centre, subject, goal, driving force and resource of development.
Referring to Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese issued by the Politburo on August 2, the top leader said the resolution reflects a new approach that regards overseas Vietnamese as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese community and an important strategic resource and bridge between Vietnam and the world.
He expressed his belief that overseas Vietnamese communities, including those in Australia, will continue to grow stronger and more united, contributing to Vietnam’s international integration. He called on Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, entrepreneurs and students in Australia to leverage their expertise, connect Vietnam with international knowledge, technology and resources, and contribute to national development in the new era.
Earlier the same day, General Secretary and President Lam and the Vietnamese delegation, together with Australian officials, members of the diplomatic corps and Australian friends, attended the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia./.
