Hanoi (VNA) - State President Luong Cuong held talks with visiting Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn in Hanoi on September 10, during which the two leaders sought measures to boost the Vietnam - Australia ties to a new height.
President Cuong welcomed the Governor-General, her spouse and the Australian delegation on their first state visit to Vietnam.
He noted the significance of the visit, taking place shortly after Vietnam celebrated the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, and noted appreciation for the Governor-General’s congratulations to Vietnam’s leaders.
The State President also congratulated Australia on its steady achievements in economic growth, social welfare and its enhanced role in region and the world at large.
Governor-General Mostyn said she is impressed by Vietnam’s remarkable progress over a relatively short period, and thanked the Vietnamese State leader, his spouse and the Vietnamese State for the warm reception. She congratulated Vietnam on its sustained high GDP growth and socio-economic development.
The Governor-General affirmed that her country is always Vietnam's reliable and enduring partner, and will continue to support the country in its reform process aimed at becoming a high-income nation by 2045.
Both sides agreed that the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024 was a historic milestone, reflecting strategic trust and their strong determination to advance relations to a new height. They noted that ministries and agencies of both countries are effectively implementing the 2024–2027 Action Programme to realise the partnership, including regular consultation and dialogue mechanisms.
Vietnam and Australia are among each other’s major trade partners, with bilateral trade exceeding 14 billion USD in 2024. Tourism has grown steadily, with 56 weekly flights currently connecting the two countries.
Australian businesses are being facilitated to expand investment in Vietnam, while Vietnam actively serves as a bridge for Australia to deepen its engagement with Southeast Asia, contributing to the ASEAN–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Australia-Mekong sub-regional cooperation.
The two leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining the momentum of high-level exchanges and contacts across Party, State, parliamentary and locality-to-locality channels to strengthen information sharing, and consolidate political trust and mutual understanding, thereby laying a firm foundation for wider cooperation.
They underlined that defence and security cooperation remains a key pillar of bilateral ties, and agreed to further expand effective collaboration in this area.
Australia will continue to assist Vietnam in officer training and peacekeeping operations, particularly in transporting field hospitals to Vietnam’s UN mission in South Sudan.
President Cuong highly valued Australia’s effective support through initiatives such as human resources development programmes, cooperation via the Vietnam–Australia Centre at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, leadership capacity-building, gender equality promotion, public governance reform and human rights education.
The President proposed Australia continue supporting Vietnam in training senior leaders at both central and local levels, with a particular focus on teachers and lecturers, linking training programmes between the two countries, promoting cooperation and experience exchange among training institutions, and strengthening collaboration between leading research centres and universities.
Governor-General Mostyn praised the significant contributions of the approximately 350,000-strong Vietnamese community in Australia, as well as nearly 40,000 Vietnamese students studying and conducting research in the country, emphasising that profound people-to-people exchanges form a solid foundation for the bilateral relations.
Both sides agreed to intensify measures to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, aiming to reach a trade turnover of 20 billion USD and double bilateral investment in the coming years, while improving market access for each other’s key products. Vietnam looks forward to increased investment from Australian businesses under Australia’s economic connectivity initiatives in Southeast Asia, including the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
The two leaders also agreed to encourage cooperation between research institutions and scientists of both countries to develop joint research projects, particularly in strategic technology fields such as artificial intelligence, new materials, and biomedical technology.
They pledged to continue close coordination at international and regional forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN-led mechanisms, the Mekong Subregion development cooperation, and APEC.
Australia pledged to continue supporting Vietnam and ASEAN’s principled position in ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, and resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
