Top Vietnamese legislator begins official visit to Australia
VOV.VN - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his entourage arrived in Canberra on November 29 evening (local time), beginning an official visit to Australia from November 30 to December 3 at the invitation of Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick, and President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines.
Those welcoming NA Chairman Hue and his delegation at the airport included Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh, Deputy President of the Australian Senate Andrew McLachlan, and officials from the Australian House of Representatives and the Foreign Ministry.
This is the first visit of a top legislator of a foreign legislative body to Australia after the Federal Parliament elections in May 2022 with a new parliamentary leadership elected in August 2022. This demonstrates Vietnam's recognition of importance to Australia and the Vietnam-Australia Strategic Partnership, creating fresh impetus for upgrading the two countries' relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the time ahead.
Australia is a strategic partner of Vietnam in the South Pacific. Cooperation between the two nations is growing steadily across a multitude of areas while the exchange of delegations and high-level meetings has been maintained.
Over the past time, bilateral relations between Vietnam and Australia have developed very well, especially since the two countries established the strategic partnership in 2017. Political relations have become closer and more reliable through the exchange of delegations and meetings on all channels, including Party, National Assembly and Government, people-to-people exchanges.
Cooperation in economics, trade and investment has showed positive signs, with two-way trade turnover growing strongly despite being affected by the pandemic. Last year's bilateral trade and nine-month period reached US$12.4 billion, and US$12 billion, up nearly 50% and 31.5% on-year, respectively.
During the visit, the Vietnamese NA leader is scheduled to hold talks with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Milton Dick on November 30.
He will have meetings with high-ranking leaders, a number of ministers and state governors; attend the Vietnam - Australia education and economic cooperation forums.
Hue is set to meet with students of a number of universities, and Vietnamese community representatives in the host nation.