Australian Ambassador to Vietnam shares 'amazing' successful projects of Vietnamese people in Australia

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski affirmed that Australia will continue to support Vietnamese students studying abroad. He also spoke about Australia's "great advantage" thanks to its large Vietnamese community, which will contribute to promoting bilateral investment and trade.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski sees off Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at Canberra airport on March 9 - Photo: DUONG GIANG

During his official visit to Australia from March 7 to 9, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski accompanied Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to most of the events in Canberra. Taking advantage of his free time between events, the group of reporters accompanying the Prime Minister had an interview with him. In particular, when asked about the newly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Australia, Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski called this a historic milestone, opening a period of greater understanding and trust between the two countries in the next 50 years. Tuoi Tre reporters were also present at the interview and asked a number of questions to Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski.

The Vietnamese community is important to both countries.

* The Vietnamese community in Australia, with more than 350,000 people, is a large community. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has proposed that Australia recognize this as an ethnic minority. Will there be any changes to this community in Australia and Australians in Vietnam after the two countries upgrade relations? - Well, the Vietnamese community in Australia with 350,000 people is one of the most successful communities. They work hard, are smart, they dare to think and do, they open businesses, restaurants and many other things. They create value and are highly appreciated in Australia. We also respect their Vietnamese identity, support them to maintain their culture and language. Personally, I think the size of the Vietnamese community here is a huge advantage for Australia, because more and more Australians speak Vietnamese. Who knows, the next generation will return to Vietnam and start businesses, expand trade and investment.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski answers questions from the press - Photo: QUANG PHUONG

"Awesome" projects

* Sir, as I understand it, the two countries will have an action plan to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. How long will it take to complete that plan? Are there any specific plans to enhance cooperation between the two countries in some areas such as climate change, economy , science - technology or education? - As soon as I return to Hanoi , we will start working on the action plan, but I cannot say exactly when. There are many different ministries and sectors that will be involved in developing the action plan. So it will take a little time, but I hope we can do it soon. This action plan will cover all the above areas, each area will state what needs to be done, because these are all important issues. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership means that the areas of cooperation must be wide-ranging. We will not just do two or three things, but will cooperate with Vietnam in all aspects. * After the upgrade announcement, the two countries also want to promote two-way investment and trade. What potential areas in Australia can Vietnamese businesses invest in, sir? - There are some interesting areas. First is agriculture. Because Vietnam is an agricultural country and Australia also focuses on agriculture, but we have different types of agriculture and different climates and crops. I have met some leaders of TH Group in Vietnam. Four years ago, they decided to raise beef cattle in Australia, and they bought a lot of land for this. The Chairman of TH at that time thought that this project would only be profitable after 5 years, but after only 2 years they were profitable, with a herd of 85,000 cattle and are very successful. Now they want to expand into other farming areas, buying more land in Australia, including in Tasmania. Another example is 4 Ways Fresh Company, which is headquartered in South Australia but is expanding to Western Australia. A young Australian of Vietnamese origin has set up a plantation with the ambition of becoming the largest producer of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia. And now he is exporting that product back to Vietnam and other parts of the world. Those are great stories. So I think agriculture is a very strong potential sector. The next very promising sector is hospitality and tourism. Or in the mining sector, Hoa Phat of Vietnam has invested in Australia. You could say Australia is a very friendly place to invest. And I think Vietnamese people will find many good opportunities in Australia.

Farming on Australian farms is being aided from space, with research from the likes of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) - Photo: CSIRO

* The trend now is smart farming and sustainable development in agriculture. We are talking about an era of agricultural production with less land and water, less fertilizer but higher productivity. What experience does Australia have that can be shared with Vietnam, sir? - Well, it all depends on what kind of crop and in what area. In Australia, we do a lot of what we call large-scale farming, large areas where you can have 6 or 7 harvesters side by side, running up and down. They are controlled by satellite because it is a very large area. Vietnam will find it difficult to apply. But our science agency is working with Vietnamese farmers to find out how they can use satellites to monitor the moisture content in the soil. That way they know whether to irrigate more or less. By sitting at home, the farmer can calculate the moisture content needed. There is a lot of high-tech work going on like that. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development this week. ACIAR is working on a new type of rice that is more resilient to climate change. They are working on a lot of areas like this where technology can be applied to make farming more sustainable and profitable. In Vietnam, ACIAR has been working for more than 30 years and invested more than AUD 160 million. Their analysis shows that for every AUD they invest, AUD 90 of value is created - a very high impact. Our agricultural research agency will continue to work in Vietnam to try to bring the best technological advantage to local farmers. * If you were asked to say only 2 English words to describe the Vietnam - Australia relationship, what would you say? - I would say "strong and sincere". * Thank you for the interview!

Advice for Vietnamese international students: Study seriously

* Born   Vietnamese students are the 6th largest group of students in Australia and contribute a lot to the Australian economy. So what advice do you have for your government to create   Is it easier for Vietnamese students, for example, visas? - I think the current system is very complete and it works quite well. While Vietnam ranks sixth in terms of the total number of international students in Australia, I think it ranks third or fourth in terms of tertiary education. And in tertiary education, it is not difficult to get a visa. The difficulty comes when people come to Australia to study and train at a lower level. And in some cases, those students are sometimes misled by their study abroad agencies about what they can get when they come to Australia. But for students who are going to serious universities to study seriously, I think the system is working very well. We will continue to support them and make sure that their experience in Australia is a good one.

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