Australia, Vietnam look to bolster cooperation across the board

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh made the statement at a recent workshop featuring Vietnam’s external policy  and shared future with Australia at Macquarie University in Sydney, which saw  the attendance of around 80 Australian and international students under the ‘Global Leadership Programme’.

The Vietnamese diplomat underlined ‘independence’ in Vietnam’s foreign policy, the factor that helps solidify the nation's strategic position and soft power amid global uncertainties. Vietnam has become a strategic and comprehensive partner of 30 countries and an active member of more than 70 regional and international organizations, he went on to say. 

Economic partnership serves as an important foundation of the Vietnam-Australia ties, with last year's bilateral trade turnover growing 50% to 17 billion AUD ( close to US$12 billion)  despite COVID-19.

Both nations have closely cooperated in a host of major issues such as ensuring freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea and water security in the Mekong Delta.

Besides, people-to-people exchange is seen as a highlight in bilateral ties as more than 27,000 Vietnamese students are studying at Australian universities.

Thanh said he hopes that the two countries will maintain the growth momentum in a bid to take the strategic partnership to new heights on the basis of respect for each other’s sovereignty and political regimes.
On the occasion, the ambassador also met with Vietnamese lecturers and students at Macquarie University.