Victoria state leaders sanguine of flourishing Vietnam-Australia cooperation

At the meeting, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh highlighted Victoria state's great potential and strength in economics and trade and showed her wish that Victoria leaders will pay more attention to stepping up cooperation with Vietnam and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese localities to study and establish relations with the state. She also affirmed Vietnam's willingness to welcome businesses from Victoria State to invest in Vietnam.

She praised leaders and people of Victoria state for their tremendous achievements in a multitude of areas, especially in services and social welfare policies. Thinh described Melbourne as one of the top financial, trade, cultural, education and sport hubs in Australia, the region and the world, which contributes nearly 10% to the country’s gross domestic product. 

She asked Victoria leaders to facilitate activities marking the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples while calling for their possible support for the Vietnamese community’ integration into the country of residence. 

The Victoria Governor and Premier spoke of their appreciation for the vigorous growth of Vietnam – Australia ties across economics, trade, national defence-security, education, science-technology and tourism since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties 45 years ago. 

The upgrade of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level during the visit to Australia by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in March 2018 was a vivid demonstration of their relationship, which was partly contributed by the two countries’ localities, including Victoria, they said. 

Governor Dessau said education-training and tourism are strengths of the state. Tens of thousands of local people visit Vietnam each year while more than 13,000 Vietnamese students are pursuing studies in the state. 

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews (L).

Premier Andrews said two-way trade between Vietnam and Victoria has achieved a steady growth, reaching US$1.9 billion last year, accounting for nearly one-third of the total between Vietnam and Australia. 

He appreciated the forthcoming opening of a branch of the Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) in Melbourne and promised to carry out a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between Victoria and Vietnamese localities, especially in trade, investment, education-training, agriculture, urban development, environment, tourism and people-to-people exchange. 

The Victoria state leaders pledged to offer optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community in the state to help them make greater contributions to the development of the two countries’ relations.