78 years of National Day and 50 years of Vietnam-Australia ties marked in Canberra

More than 450 guests, including government representatives, parliamentarians, representatives of a number of Australian agencies and organisations, and a large number of diplomatic missions in Canberra were present at the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh highlighted the significance of National Day and the numerous achievements recorded in socio-economic development and external relations by the nation over the past seven decades,  with the country having now made friends with 200 countries around the world, establishing partnerships with most Indo-Pacific neighbors and ASEAN members.

The nation has also signed 18 free trade agreements (FTAs) with 60 partners around the world.

In relations with Australia, Ambassador Thanh affirmed that Australia is a trusted partner, not only through providing COVID-19 vaccines, but also has being a good friend of the country for the past five decades with many support programmes implemented in the fields of education, infrastructure, and telecommunications.

The Vietnamese diplomat emphasized that the upgrade of relations to a strategic partnership in 2018 has boosted bilateral ties in the fields of economics, security, and innovation. In the future, the two countries will expand and deepen linkages in areas that both sides are facing, namely digital transformation, and climate change, while continuing to protect international law for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world.

He also thanked the Australian veterans who attended the event and invited them to visit Vietnam in order to build more bridges of friendship.

As the honorary guest, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts congratulated Vietnam on the occasion of National Day and affirmed that the mutual relationship has developed strongly over the past five decades and political trust between the two countries has increased strongly through the exchange of high-level delegations over recent years.

The exchange visits between the two sides not only enhance the connection between leaders, but also create further opportunities for the two countries to exchange and share information, thereby creating a foundation to build stronger ties between the two countries in the future.

Assistant Minister Watts said along with education, other areas such as development aid, telecommunications, and climate change are where Australia will strengthen its relationship with Vietnam over the coming years through an aid package worth AUD94.5 million that Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced during her visit to Vietnam in August.

In addition, Australia will also promote trade exchanges and encourage investment in the Vietnamese market, with this being reflected in Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced recently.

Assistant Minister Watts affirmed that both sides share a common vision of a region of peace, stability, and prosperity, where sovereignty is respected and each country can make its own decisions, as Vietnam did it in 1945.

Those in attendance at the event also included many overseas Vietnamese who have lived in Australia for many years, businessmen, Vietnamese scientists, and Vietnamese students based in Australia.

Vietnamese nationals in Australia rejoiced over the achievements that the country has obtained over the past seven decades and pin high hopes on the development of Vietnam-Australia ties.

At the end of the reception, guests were presented with a set of stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia, which used the images of the lotus - the national flower of Vietnam and the yellow acacia - the national flower of Australia.