Vietnam-Australia relationship at its best ever: Deputy FM
The relationship between Vietnam and Australia is developing strongly and at its best ever, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said on March 3.
During his talks in Hanoi with Katrina Cooper, Deputy Secretary for Southeast Asia and Global Partners Group at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vu stressed that Vietnam highly values its strategic partnership with Australia.
He thanked Australia for its timely supply of 7.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and other medical materials, becoming Vietnam’s second biggest vaccine donor.
For her part, Cooper, who is paying a visit to Vietnam from March 2-4, said Australia always highly appreciates Vietnam’s role and position in the region.
She affirmed Australia's efforts to promote the strategic partnership in all cooperation pillars, especially as the two nations will celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.
The two officials shared the view that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam and Australia have maintained all-level meetings, and regularly and flexibly implemented bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Economic and trade collaboration continued to be a bright spot in the bilateral relations, with two-way trade reaching US$12.4 billion in 2021, up nearly 50% year-on-year.
Host and guest also compared notes on specific measures to enhance cooperation in such spheres as national defence-security, education-training, official development assistance (ODA), green growth, high-tech agriculture, climate change response and Mekong collaboration, along with new pillars, towards the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time.
Regarding the East Sea issue, both officials held that disputes must be addressed peacefully in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They also exchanged views on other regional and international issues of shared concern.
