Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc begins Australia visit

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation arrived at Fairbairn military airport in Canberra on the afternoon of March 14, beginning an official visit to Australia at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

While in Australia, the Vietnamese PM will attend the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

PM Phuc and the Vietnamese delegation were greeted at the airport by Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister - Senator James McGrath; Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet - Stephanie Foster; and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick. On the Vietnamese side there were Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Ngo Huong Nam and Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney Trinh Duc Hai.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled to visit the Australian National University and meet with representatives from the Vietnamese community in Australia on March 14.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will chair a welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese PM on the morning of March 15. The two PMs will later hold talks and witness the signing of a number of bilateral cooperative agreements.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc will also meet with the leaders of the Australian Senate and the House of Representatives and pay a courtesy visit to the Governor-General of Australia during the visit.