FM Son holds phone talks with Australian and Serbian counterparts

Talking to his Australian counterpart Marise Payne, Son thanked his nation for donating more than 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is the first batch of 1.5 million vaccine doses that Australia has pledged to support Vietnam.

Australia’s timely support will help Vietnam accelerate vaccination, Minister Son said, while affirming Vietnam’s determined to urgently access and bring home more vaccines, medical equipment and drugs. The country stays ready to repurchase or borrow vaccines in advance from other countries to fast-track its domestic vaccination drive.

Australian FM Payne expressed sympathy for the complicated pandemic situation in Ho Chi Minh City and other Vietnamese localities and pledged her efforts to soon deliver the remaining 1.1 million vaccine doses to Vietnam.

She also promised to urge UNICEF to use Australia’s support funding to bring more vaccines to Vietnam this year, and continue working with relevant ministries and sectors to quickly provide essential medical equipment and supplies such as ventilators, patient monitoring machines, facemasks and protective gears to support the country's fight against the pandemic.

The two ministers showed their elation at the strong development of the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership over the past time and discussed a range of measures to push up bilateral relations in the time ahead. They consented to continue maintaining and organising meetings at all levels and existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms in specific fields.

They also expressed their satisfaction with growing bilateral economic and trade ties, in which two-way trade surge by nearly 50% in the first seven months of 2021.

Both sides agreed to soon finalize negotiations towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to soon complete a strategy to step up economic cooperation between Vietnam and Australia.

They concurred to consider the recognition of each other's vaccine passports to facilitate travel and trade between the two countries.

Minister Son suggested the Australian side offer favourable conditions to welcome Vietnamese students back to Australia, and consider signing an agreement to receive Vietnamese workers to become involved in a new Australian agriculture visa programme.

Minister Payne congratulated Minister Son on the occasion of the 76th National Day of Vietnam. The latter thanked and invited former to visit Vietnam at a convenient time in the coming time.

During his phone talks with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic the same day, the two diplomats concurred to bolster cooperation in priority fields, especially politics, diplomacy, economy, and trade.

They also pledged to expanding collaboration in potential spheres such as labour cooperation and information technology. 

The pair expressed their appreciation for the effective cooperation between the foreign ministries which was demonstrated by delegation exchange at the ministerial level and political consultations at the deputy ministerial level as well as close coordination at international forums.

Selakovic greatly valued the long-standing traditional friendship between Serbia and Vietnam with a history of more than 60 years and affirmed the determination of Serbian leaders and people to boost ties the Southeast Asian nation across multiple fields.

On the basis of the good friendship between the two countries, the Serbian Government has decided to donate vaccines and medical equipment to support Vietnam's battle against COVID-19.

The Serbian minister also expressed his confidence that with the determination and efforts of the Vietnamese Government and people, the country will definitely contain the pandemic.

On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Son sincerely thanked the Government and people of Serbia for the decision to donate vaccines to Vietnam, considering it a noble gesture and a demonstration of the time-honoured between the two countries and sincere affection between the two peoples.

The Vietnamese diplomat highlighted Serbia's valuable and timely assistance as a contribution to helping Vietnam soon curb and push back the COVID-19 pandemic.

Son also suggested the Serbian side consider ceding its surplus vaccines, providing medical equipment and supplies to treat COVID-19 patients as well as cooperation in transferring vaccine production technology to Vietnam.

The Serbian FM used the occasion to invite his Vietnamese counterpart to pay an official visit to Serbia and the invitation was graciously accepted.