The forthcoming visit to Australia by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung onMarch 17-18, the second of its kind, is expected to consolidate anddeepen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.
The two countries agreed to elevate their relations to ComprehensivePartnership level in 2009, and this has developed well in variousfields. Both are closely working together at regional and internationalforums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), theEast Asia Summit (EAS), and the United Nations (UN).
In 2013, Vietnam and Australia carried out a series ofactivities to mark the 40 th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.The two sides have conducted many high-level exchanges, with the mostrecent meeting between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and President TruongTan Sang on the margin of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Forum Summit in Beijing in November 2014.
Vietnam supported Australia to become a non-permanent member of theUN Security Council in the 2013-2014 tenure, while Australia backedVietnam to join the UN Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 term.
On the economic front, Australia is the 8 thbiggest trade partner of Vietnam with two-way trade climbing toapproximately 6 billion USD in 2014 from 5.1 billion USD in 2013.Notably, this has seen an annual increase of 10 percent over the pastdecade, with Vietnam recording a trade surplus. Vietnamese keyexport staples include crude oil, mobile phones and spare parts.
Australia officially recognised Vietnam as a market economy at the 14 th ASEAN Summit in 2009.
The Pacific Ocean country is running 320 investment projects worth1.65 billion USD in Vietnam , focusing on industry, construction,services, education, processing industry andagriculture-forestry-fisheries. Meanwhile, Vietnam currently counts 17FDI projects in Australia with a combined capital of 137 millionUSD, mainly in the fields of processing, and accommodation andrestaurant services.
Regarding bilateralsecurity-defence cooperation, Vietnam is one of the biggest ODArecipients of Australian funding, worth over 130 million AUD per year.In the 2013-2014 fiscal year, Australia committed to provide Vietnamwith over 138.9 million AUD in ODA, with 141.3 million AUD to followthe next year. It also pledged a non-refundable aid package of 160million AUD for Vietnam to build Cao Lanh Bridge , which isscheduled to be completed in October 2017.
Turningto education, Australia is home to 30,000 Vietnamese students. Overthe past 40 years, Australia has granted 4,000 scholarships toVietnamese students. The country promised to offer 1,380 scholarshipsfor Vietnamese students in 2012-2015, including 272 long-term and 88short-term ones in 2013.
The two countries signed aneducation cooperation agreement for 2013-2018 and established a jointworking group on the field.
Positive developmentsare also recorded in other fields such as labour, agriculture, tourismand people-to-people exchanges.-VNA
The two countries agreed to elevate their relations to ComprehensivePartnership level in 2009, and this has developed well in variousfields. Both are closely working together at regional and internationalforums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), theEast Asia Summit (EAS), and the United Nations (UN).
In 2013, Vietnam and Australia carried out a series ofactivities to mark the 40 th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.The two sides have conducted many high-level exchanges, with the mostrecent meeting between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and President TruongTan Sang on the margin of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Forum Summit in Beijing in November 2014.
Vietnam supported Australia to become a non-permanent member of theUN Security Council in the 2013-2014 tenure, while Australia backedVietnam to join the UN Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 term.
On the economic front, Australia is the 8 thbiggest trade partner of Vietnam with two-way trade climbing toapproximately 6 billion USD in 2014 from 5.1 billion USD in 2013.Notably, this has seen an annual increase of 10 percent over the pastdecade, with Vietnam recording a trade surplus. Vietnamese keyexport staples include crude oil, mobile phones and spare parts.
Australia officially recognised Vietnam as a market economy at the 14 th ASEAN Summit in 2009.
The Pacific Ocean country is running 320 investment projects worth1.65 billion USD in Vietnam , focusing on industry, construction,services, education, processing industry andagriculture-forestry-fisheries. Meanwhile, Vietnam currently counts 17FDI projects in Australia with a combined capital of 137 millionUSD, mainly in the fields of processing, and accommodation andrestaurant services.
Regarding bilateralsecurity-defence cooperation, Vietnam is one of the biggest ODArecipients of Australian funding, worth over 130 million AUD per year.In the 2013-2014 fiscal year, Australia committed to provide Vietnamwith over 138.9 million AUD in ODA, with 141.3 million AUD to followthe next year. It also pledged a non-refundable aid package of 160million AUD for Vietnam to build Cao Lanh Bridge , which isscheduled to be completed in October 2017.
Turningto education, Australia is home to 30,000 Vietnamese students. Overthe past 40 years, Australia has granted 4,000 scholarships toVietnamese students. The country promised to offer 1,380 scholarshipsfor Vietnamese students in 2012-2015, including 272 long-term and 88short-term ones in 2013.
The two countries signed aneducation cooperation agreement for 2013-2018 and established a jointworking group on the field.
Positive developmentsare also recorded in other fields such as labour, agriculture, tourismand people-to-people exchanges.-VNA
