In his opening remarks, Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Policy and Strategy Department, emphasised that despite global economic uncertainties, Vietnam maintained robust GDP growth of 7.09% in 2024, among the highest in Asia. This performance reaffirms Vietnam’s position as a safe and attractive destination for investors and provides a solid foundation to expand cooperation with Australia, a strategic partner with strong economic capacity and leading scientific and technological expertise.

Australia currently ranks among the top countries investing in Vietnam, with 670 projects totaling US$1.863 billion. Over the past 50 years, Australia has also provided around AUD3 billion in official development assistance (ODA). Vietnam is now Australia's 10th largest trading partner, with two-way trade last year hitting US$14 billion, while Australia is Vietnam’s 9th largest trading partner. These figures reflect substantial potential for expanded cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, education, science, and technology.

According to the official, the two countries could strengthen collaboration in trade, investment, education, research, and especially in new areas such as digital transformation, renewable energy, and climate change adaptation. Cultural exchanges, academic cooperation, and student mobility would also help build trust and people-to-people ties, providing momentum for sustainable economic and social cooperation.

Renee Deschamps, Deputy Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, praised the forum’s theme, “Building Bridges of Mutual Prosperity,” noting that it captures the essence of Vietnam–Australia cooperation. She highlighted that the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership demonstrates strategic trust and long-term commitment across multiple key areas, including innovation, clean energy, and education—critical factors for competitiveness in the new era.

From the academic perspective, Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong, Vice President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, underscored the forum’s role in providing scientific evidence to support national policymaking. He noted that more than 80,000 Vietnamese students have studied in Australia, and over 5,000 joint research projects have been carried out, reflecting the strong complementarity between Australia’s advanced education system and Vietnam’s young, dynamic workforce.

Speakers agreed that in a world moving rapidly toward digitalization, sustainability, and green growth, Vietnam and Australia possess advantages that complement each other. Vietnam benefits from a young labor force, competitive costs, and a strategic location in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Australia offers advanced technology, high-quality education, and the governance capacity of a developed economy. Together, these strengths create strong synergies, providing vast potential for the two countries to enhance competitiveness and make positive contributions to regional and global growth.

They stressed the importance of implementing concrete, results-oriented cooperation programmes based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect, thereby advancing the Vietnam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the 21st century.

Vietnam, Australia step up cooperation in agriculture, environment

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney, on August 21 hosted the “Vietnam – Australia Forum on trade promotion, cooperation in training and human resources development in agriculture and environment.”