Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison review the guard of honour at the welcome ceremony for the latter in Hanoi on August 23 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and Australia on August 23 issued a jointstatement on the occasion of the official visit to Vietnam by Australian PrimeMinister Scott Morrison.
The following is the full text of the Joint Statement.
1. The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Australia, on the occasion of PrimeMinister Morrison's first official visit to Vietnam from 22 to 24 August 2019,reiterated their mutual commitment to a strong and ambitious bilateralrelationship during their talks.
2. The Prime Ministers emphasised that Vietnam and Australia are strategicpartners, with a shared neighbourhood and common outlook. They recognised eachother’s increasing importance, both bilaterally and as partners in theIndo-Pacific as well as in the international community.
3. The Prime Ministers acknowledged that the partnership is founded on a basisof mutual respect, mutual trust, converging interests and deepening links. Theyagreed to increase the depth and breadth of engagement between the twocountries in advance of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023.To this end, they agreed that Vietnam and Australia’s Plan of Action for theStrategic Partnership for the period of 2020-2023 will focus on three priorityareas: enhancing economic engagement; deepening strategic, defence and securitycooperation; and building knowledge and innovation partnerships. To guide thiswork, and as close partners and friends in the Indo-Pacific, Vietnam andAustralia agreed to commence Annual Leaders’ Meetings, and reinforce theincreasing engagement at the ministerial and officials’ levels.
4. Reflecting the shared commitment to building on the strategic partnership,the Prime Ministers agreed to develop an Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategywith the aim of becoming top ten trade partners and doubling investment. TheStrategy will solidify shared commitment to trade liberalisation and economicconnectivity, and help both countries take advantage of emerging marketopportunities. This work will be led by key Economic Ministers, who will meetin Australia later this year for the inaugural Vietnam - Australia EconomicPartnership Meeting to further boost the current excellent ties in bilateraltrade, investment and development cooperation. Australia’s Minister for Trade,Tourism and Investment will also lead a business delegation to Vietnam in 2020.Both sides will work together to continue to facilitate market access foraquatic and agricultural products, boost two-way connectivity, collaborate onenergy security and seize the digital opportunities of the future, includingthe digital economy and e-government. Both Prime Ministers also reaffirmedtheir strong commitment to uphold the rules-based multilateral trading systemas embodied in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and committed to supportnecessary reform of the WTO to ensure that it can continue to address theopportunities and challenges of the 21st century.
5. The Prime Ministers emphasised their commitment to promoting bilateraleconomic opportunities and regional economic integration through free tradeagreements and cooperation in multilateral economic frameworks, including APEC.In this context, they welcomed the 10thanniversary of the AgreementEstablishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, and the workunderway to upgrade that Agreement. They committed their governments to workingtogether to ensure smooth implementation of the Comprehensive and ProgressiveAgreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. They agreed on the importance ofconcluding negotiations on a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutuallybeneficial Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement this year.
6. Australia will continue to support Vietnam’s international securitycontribution, including by the Australian Defence Force providing on-goingspecialist peacekeeping training and strategic airlift support for Vietnam’snext peacekeeping deployment. Vietnam and Australia will also hold an annualDefence High Level Meeting at ministerial level as well as a separate SecurityDialogue at vice-ministerial level, building on existing bilateral defence andsecurity mechanisms. The two countries will broaden bilateral securitycooperation, including in the maritime and cyber domains, and work together tocombat transnational crime in Vietnam and Australia, including throughincreased border security cooperation and law enforcement activities.
7. Vietnam and Australia will strengthen collaboration in knowledge andinnovation, including between public services and establish a Vietnam – AustraliaCentre at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. The Centre will draw onAustralian expertise to support Vietnam’s future leadership, while enabling Vietnamand Australia to pursue solutions to shared national and regional challengesand deepen people-to-people and institutional links. It will bring togetherinfluential Vietnamese and Australian leaders, government officials, expertsand academics.
8. The Leaders committed to protecting the health of the oceans, by reducingplastic waste, sharing technologies and expertise and improving thesustainability of fishing. Vietnam and Australia committed to increasingcooperation in these areas.
9. Both sides will encourage their respective localities to step up cooperationthrough the exchange of delegations at various levels and sharing of managementexpertise, particularly in urban planning, transport infrastructure, educationand training, and innovative entrepreneurship. Vietnam welcomed Australia’sannouncement that from 2 September 2019, Australia will increase the number ofWork and Holiday Maker visa places for Vietnamese nationals from 200 to 1,500.
10. Building on 25 years of education and skills cooperation, the PrimeMinisters agreed to extend knowledge collaboration to new areas by increasingeducation and research links through partnerships such as the Aus4InnovationPartnership Grants program. Both sides are committed to strengthening existinginnovative partnerships between universities, research agencies,not-for-profits and businesses in Vietnam and Australia.
11. Both countries remain committed to an open, inclusive, prosperous andsecure region defined by respect for international law, sovereignty,independence and territorial integrity. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed theimportance of ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led architecture, particularly theEast Asia Summit. In this regard, the Prime Ministers welcomed the ASEANOutlook on the Indo-Pacific as essential to regional cooperation. Australiacommitted to extending strong support to Vietnam in assuming the important roleof the ASEAN Chair in 2020 and as non-permanent member of the UN SecurityCouncil in 2020-2021. Australia also reaffirmed its commitment to boosting cooperationwith the countries in the Mekong sub-region in areas such as connectivity, ICT,climate change and water resources for sustainable development.
12. The Prime Ministers expressed serious concerns about developments in theSouth China Sea, including land reclamation and militarisation of disputedfeatures. They also expressed concern about disruptive activities in relationto long-standing oil and gas projects in the South China Sea. They emphasisedthe importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, compliance withinternational law and maintaining a rules-based order. They called on allparties to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that may furthercomplicate the situation. They also reaffirmed the need for states to resolvedisputes peacefully, without the threat or use of force in accordance withinternational law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Lawof the Sea (UNCLOS). The Prime Ministers underscored the importance of UNCLOSdispute settlement mechanisms and called upon the parties to respect andimplement the decisions rendered by these mechanisms. They reiterated theimportance of the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). They called for any Code ofConduct between ASEAN and China to be fully consistent with international law,in particular UNCLOS, without prejudice to the interests of third parties orthe rights of states under international law, and support existing inclusiveregional architecture.
13. The talks were conducted in a candid and fruitful manner, followed by apress briefing. The Prime Ministers will brief key ministers on the positivestate and direction of the Vietnam - Australia relationship for furtherimplementation, aimed at bringing the relationship to a higher level. - VNA
VNA
