Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held a working session with newly appointed Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam Gillian Bird on July 2, during which the host called for stronger cooperation in trade, energy and industry.
Dien showed his belief that with her extensive diplomatic experience, Bird will have a successful tenure and make significant contributions to further strengthening the Vietnam – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across all areas.
The minister stressed that the ministerial-level cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, including the ministerial-level dialogue on trade and the one on energy and minerals, play an important role in promoting multifaceted collaboration. He suggested the two sides coordinate to soon agree on a date for the first session of the energy and mineral dialogue this year.
He took the occasion to call for the Australian Embassy's coordination in identifying effective measures to realise the bilateral trade target of 20 billion USD and double two-way investment in the coming time.
Agreeing with Dien, Bird proposed the two sides work together on the organisation of the dialogue mechanisms in Vietnam in 2025.
She also shared the Australian Government’s current and future priorities for Vietnam, expressing her hope that the minister will support the agreements under Australia’s Aus4Growth programme, particularly the energy transition projects with a total budget of about 18 million AUD (nearly 11.8 million USD).
Regarding multilateral and regional cooperation, the diplomat expressed her appreciation for Vietnam’s close coordination and support in 2025 as Australia serves as Secretary of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). She also affirmed her country’s support for Vietnam when the latter takes on this responsibility in 2026.
Australia will continue to assist Vietnam and other member countries in implementing the ASEAN – Australia – New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) through funding for the Regional Trade for Development Facility (RT4D) programme, she went on.
Newly appointed Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam Gillian Bird (Photo: Ministry of Industry and Trade)
Bird took the occasion to invite the minister to deliver a speech at the annual Financial Review Asia Summit 2025, scheduled to take place in Sydney this September.
During the meeting, Dien thanked the Australian Government for its support through cooperation programmes and aid packages, which have grown in both form and value and focused on essential areas, particularly energy transition.
He called for the ambassador's continued support and close coordination to fruitfulyl carry out the cooperation mechanisms between his ministry and Australia, towards advancing the two countries' relations in trade, energy, and industry.
On this occasion, the two sides witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to develop a competitive electricity market between the ministry's Electricity Authority of Vietnam and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.
Statistics show that trade between the two countries reached 6.8 billion USD in the first half of 2025, comprising 3.1 billion USD in Vietnam's exports to and 3.7 billion USD in its imports from Australia, respectively down 0.5% and up 0.4% from a year earlier./.
