Vietnam-Australia relations are developing very strongly and positively.

At the invitation of the Australian Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will attend the 6th annual Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting from October 16-19.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will visit Australia and attend the 6th annual Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting from October 16-19. (Photo: VNA)

On the occasion of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son's visit to Australia and his attendance at the 6th Vietnam-Australia Annual Foreign Ministers' Meeting from October 16-19, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam gave an interview to a Vietnam News Agency reporter in the area about the purpose and significance of the visit as well as the current context of Vietnam-Australia cooperation.

According to Ambassador Pham Hung Tam, at the invitation of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will visit Australia to attend the 6th annual Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting from October 16-19.

This is one of five ministerial-level cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, playing a very important role in promoting Vietnam-Australia cooperation within the bilateral framework, especially political and diplomatic cooperation, as well as at regional and international forums.

At the same time as this Conference, the two sides also held the 4th Vietnam-Australia Economic Partnership Ministerial Meeting.

The working trip of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son is a concrete step to implement the extremely important results achieved during the official visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Australia in March 2024, with the two countries upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Within the framework of this Conference, the two sides will discuss measures to promote cooperation between the two countries, including cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, green transformation, and climate change adaptation; promote the completion of the Action Program to implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new period, covering all important areas of cooperation.

The two sides will also discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, contributing to enhancing coordination between the two countries at multilateral forums in the context of many fluctuations in the regional and international environment.

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam said that a noteworthy point is that this Foreign Ministers' Meeting took place in South Australia, the hometown of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, demonstrating Australia's special interest in building a close relationship between the heads of the two countries' diplomatic sectors.

According to Ambassador Pham Hung Tam, the working trip of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son took place in the context of the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership developing very strongly and positively in all six key areas that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh oriented during his visit to Australia in March 2024.

Visits and exchanges of delegations at high and all levels continue to be maintained regularly, most recently the official visit to Vietnam by Australian Senate President Sue Lines, visits to Australia by Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang and by Party Central Committee member and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh.

Two-way trade has grown positively again and is increasingly balanced, reaching more than 9.6 billion USD in the first 8 months of 2024, of which Vietnam's exports to the Australian market increased by 27.3%, far exceeding the country's export growth rate (15.8%).

People-to-people exchanges are increasingly expanding. The number of Australian tourists visiting Vietnam reached more than 300,000 in the first eight months of 2024. Australia was the first country to send relief goods and donated more than 3 million AUD to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of super typhoon Yagi.

Security and defense cooperation has also seen positive new developments. The two sides have just successfully held the first Ministerial-level Security Dialogue in Canberra, Australia.

Ship 18 of Brigade 171, Vietnam Navy Region 2 recently participated in Exercise Kakadu 2024 organized by the Royal Australian Navy.

During his visit and working visit to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will have a private meeting and then co-chair the 6th Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, meet with Governor of South Australia Frances Adamson, receive Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell, attend and speak at the 2024 Conference of the Australia-Vietnam Policy Institute, visit the University of Adelaide and meet with Vietnamese lecturers and students at the school.

During his transit in Sydney, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son will visit and meet with staff of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney and neighboring agencies./.

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