Ho Chi Minh City’s leader receives Australian Foreign Minister

Nen highlighted the significance of Wong’s trip, affirming that it will generate new momentum for the bilateral relationship, especially as the two countries are marking the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the five years of the strategic partnership (2018 - 2023).

Over the past half century, the Vietnam-Australia relationship has witnessed robust development, characterised by harmonious bond and deepening political trust, and increasingly comprehensive, practical, and effective cooperation across various domains, he said.

Nen spoke highly of Wong’s support to promoting cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Australian partners.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Van Nen (third, right), Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and delegates at the reception (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City and Australian partners have maintained a strong and cooperative relationship in the spheres of investment, education, and healthcare, he said, stressing that the southern metropolis aspires to further enhance cooperation with Australian partners, particularly in such areas as high-quality human resources training, energy transition, urban infrastructure development, and climate change mitigation.

He expressed his belief that the Australian guest’ official visit to Vietnam helps not only tighten the Vietnam-Australia relations but also open up new cooperation opportunities between the governments, businesses, and people of the two countries.

The shared interests and concerns between the two countries, coupled with their trust, expectations, and determination, will help create even more effective breakthroughs in the bilateral relations in the near future, he said.

For her part, Wong said the high-level visits between the two countries this year demonstrate their mutual interest and common goals in developing bilateral relations, towards mutual benefits for the stable development and prosperity of the region.

According to the Australian official, looking back on the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Australia takes pride in its endeavours to promote bilateral relations, including upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership which serves as a foundation for the two countries to robustly promote cooperation activities across all fields.

Australia consistently recognises Ho Chi Minh City as a vital component of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam, and it has a desire to further strengthen close cooperation activities with the southern hub in areas of mutual interest, she went on.

Acknowledging the cooperation proposal from Ho Chi Minh City’s leader, Wong stated that the Australian Government recently decided to provide 94.5 million AUD (over 60.76 million USD) for climate change mitigation efforts to be implemented in the Mekong Delta region.

Australia wants to collaborate with Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, in building a legal framework for educational cooperation between the two sides, thus making it easier for Australian academies and universities to establish branches in the city, as well as promote student exchange activities between the two countries, she added.

During her stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Wong will have a talkshow with students of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City.