On March 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation successfully concluded their official visit to Australia.
Farewell ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife at the end of their official visit to Australia. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Australia is an opportunity for the two countries to review the development of bilateral relations in recent times and orient cooperation in the future. In particular, the highlight of this visit is that Vietnam and Australia announced the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; expanded cooperation in education and training, including vocational training; promoted cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and took advantage of new driving forces, especially in the digital economy, green economy, energy transition, and renewable energy development in Vietnam. The event attracted widespread attention from experts and scholars in the area. Speaking to a VNA reporter in Australia, Professor Carl Thayer, an expert from the Australian Defense Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, said that over the past 50 years, the relationship between Australia and Vietnam has progressed in stages and this relationship has been supported by all political parties in power in Australia through the periods. Although the two countries have different political systems, it does not seem to be an obstacle. With the relationship between the two countries being upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, it can be seen that Australia and Vietnam respect each other's political systems and economic interests have brought the two countries closer together for a broader strategic benefit, bringing good things to the people of both countries, especially the large Vietnamese community in this Oceanian country, as well as strategic trust in the leaders of both countries. According to Professor Carl Thayer, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will create opportunities for Vietnam and Australia to have more in-depth exchanges on many issues. He said that a large part of the Australian people support strengthening relations with Vietnam, especially promoting educational institutions. There are areas where Australia and Vietnam can do wonders. The professor of the Australian Defense Force Academy affirmed that Australia will prioritize cooperation with Vietnam and promote dialogue. The two sides can jointly generate and share ideas at different levels of dialogue. All of these serve the common future of both countries in the context of the world and the region facing challenges such as climate change, economic instability and competition between major powers. Both sides will benefit if they understand those challenges and find the best way to adjust and cooperate most effectively with each other through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms in which Vietnam participates and plays a strong role. Meanwhile, expert Greg Earl - a former member of the Australia-ASEAN Council and a former Southeast Asia correspondent for The Australian Financial Review - commented that upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will create a premise for Vietnam and Australia to promote closer diplomatic relations and be able to have dialogues on regional issues. In fact, Vietnam and Australia have found a way to build an increasingly close bilateral relationship, especially one built on mutual support in economic policy and the large Vietnamese community in Australia - one of the largest overseas communities in this Oceanian country and a bridge to help Australia understand Vietnam better. According to expert Greg Earl, the Vietnam-Australia relationship is one of Australia's fastest growing foreign relations in recent times. Despite having quite different political systems, the two countries find many similarities in regional foreign policy issues. In addition, Vietnam is investing in Australian resources, while Australia imports more products from Vietnam. This makes Australian businesses more familiar with Vietnam. In an interview with VNA reporters in Australia, in addition to praising Vietnam's outstanding achievements in all fields such as politics, diplomacy, economy, society, etc., Professor Hal Hill of the School of Public Policy, Australian National University, also expressed his joy at witnessing Australia and Vietnam upgrading their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. According to him, this is a positive signal for the future of the two countries. Although not geographically close, the two countries can seize this opportunity to build a strong relationship and mutual understanding in all aspects. Professor Hal Hill assessed that Vietnam is a country that has established good relations with most countries and has an important position in the international arena. That is something that other countries should learn from Vietnam. In addition, Vietnam is considered the “star” economy of Southeast Asia, the most successful country in the region in the past century in penetrating the global production network – the fastest growing part of international trade. Many large multinational companies have come to Vietnam and established production activities in this “S-shaped strip of land”. Therefore, Professor Hal Hill believes that Vietnam is a great opportunity for Australia. From Professor Hal Hill’s perspective, in terms of politics and society, Vietnam is a dynamic, active country, with no Internet censorship. From one of the poorest countries in the world, in the 1980s, through the Doi Moi process, Vietnam has risen to become a major rice exporter, successful in agricultural and seafood production and created a diversified economy. With Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Australia and the positive signals, a new era has opened for a closer and more intimate relationship between Vietnam and Australia.
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