Vietnam and Australia have agreed on measures to promote the efficiency of their bilateral partnership, especially in prioritised areas like politics, defence, security, economy, investment, trade, agriculture and education-training, among others.

During talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbot on March 18 as part of the Vietnamese government leader’s ongoing official visit, both sides concurred to assign their foreign ministries to complete and formalise a joint action programme for 2015-17.

Reviewing progress of the bilateral ties in recent years, the PMs pledged to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and maintain meetings between the two countries’ leaders and officials while optimising the existing collaboration mechanisms.

Both sides noted that the bilateral economic partnership has been growing rapidly; Australia is now the eighth largest partner of Vietnam with trade reaching nearly 6 billion USD in 2014.

Australia considers Vietnam a potential market and is keen on increasing investment to and fostering stable affiliation with the country in energy, telecommunication, and technology transfer.

Host and guest vowed to create favourable conditions for export collaboration in agricultural and aquatic products by enhancing cooperation in animal and flora quarantine.

At the same time, both sides committed to back businesses to invest in the strengths of the two nations, including services, agriculture, breeding, processing, mining and education-training.

The two PMs agreed to foster bilateral defence-security partnerships, while promoting the efficiency of coordination in development, culture and tourism.

They also discussed a wide-range of regional and international issues of mutual concern, pledging to work closely at regional and international forums, including the ASEAN-Australia cooperation, the East Asia Summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the United Nations.

They plan to boost mutual support in negotiations and implementations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Trans-Pacific Partnership.

They highlighted the significance of maintaining peace and stability as well as maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea together with the settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They called for full observation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea as well as for restraint from using force or conducting any activities that escalate tension in the region, including the constraint or use of violence to unilaterally change the status quo in the region.

It is urgent to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, they stressed.

The two sides issued a joint statement on lifting Vietnam-Australia relations to the next level and a declaration on strengthening their bilateral comprehensive partnership and four other cooperation documents on unexploded ordnance removal, peacekeeping, a new working holiday maker visa arrangement and preventing human trafficking.

The same day, PM Dung and PM Abbott met with the media to inform them on the outcomes of their meeting.

PM Abbott stated that Australia and Vietnam share a common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Both countries value the regional peace and will work closely to eliminate any threats to the stability, he said, adding that both sides support maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea.

Australia and Vietnam reject any unilateral moves changing the status quo, he stated, adding that disputes should be settled through international law.

PM Abbot also reiterated his statements in Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing that Asian countries should join together and work for the long-term interest and maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

Vietnam, Australia agree to boost maritime security links

Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh held talks with Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews on March 18 in Canberra aiming to promote cooperation in maritime security between the two nations.

The Vietnamese officer is accompanying Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on his working visit to Australia.

During the meeting, both Vinh and Andrews highlighted the beneficial results of cooperation between the two countries’ defence ministries in information and experience exchange in counterterrorism, training, and joining the United Nations (UN) peace-keeping activities.

The two sides agreed to continue cooperating in these fields, especially forging links in maritime security, to contribute to peace, stability, and navigation freedom in the East Sea and in the region. Defence Minister Andrews confirmed that his country will be one of the leading partners assisting Vietnam in participating in UN peace-keeping activities.

Earlier the same day, Deputy Minister Vinh and Australian Department of Defence’s Major General John Frewen signed an agreement to speed up implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in peacekeeping between the two ministries.-

PM meets Australian parliament leaders

Vietnam is requesting further support from Australia in infrastructure, human resources, agriculture, rural development, and poverty reduction, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told Speaker of the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop and President of the Senate Stephen Parry in Canberra on March 18.

He expressed appreciation for the Australian parliament’s support to Vietnam through official development assistance (ODA) projects, and asked for continued efforts to deepen the bilateral ties.

The hosts were also urged to facilitate all-round friendship and cooperation between the two nations, including aiding Vietnamese community in the country wherever possible.

Bishop assured the PM that the Australian parliament concurs with the intent to upgrade ties with Vietnam.

Australian and Vietnamese lawmakers have worked collaboratively in international inter-parliamentary forums, intensifying the bilateral friendship and political trust, she said.

The Australian parliament leaders also pledged to assist the Vietnamese community in Australia through every available means; the community’s contributions, they said, have assisted the host nation.

Meeting members of the Australia – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group the same day, the Vietnamese leader reviewed the outcomes of his talks with PM Tony Abbot, particularly the consensus on elevating the bilateral comprehensive partnership to the next level and the signing of a declaration on enhancing the bilateral comprehensive partnership across politics-security, economics-trade-investment, ODA, people-to-people exchange, education, and science-technology, among others.

He suggested the group work to promote the Australian government’s extension of ODA to Vietnam.

The parliamentarians thanked Vietnam for its help in the search and repatriation of the remains of Australian soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam during the war.

In a conversation with the Vietnamese PM, leader of the Labour Party Bill Shorten said upgrading the bilateral strategic partnership suits the realities and meets the aspirations of the two peoples.

During the visit, ministers accompanied PM Nguyen Tan Dung also held working sessions with their Australian counterparts.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese firms struck 8 deals with Australian partners, including five in education-training and one each in container manufacturing and export, farm produce processing, and copper cable manufacturing.

Prime Minister visits Vietnamese embassy in Australia

As part of his official visit to Australia, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called at the Vietnamese Embassy where he met with representatives from the Vietnamese Community in the country on March 18.

While highlighting the recent development of Vietnam-Australia relations, PM Dung said he hopes the embassy and other Vietnamese representative agencies will enhance their efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, investment, security-defence, culture and education.

He also asked the embassy to popularize the Party and State’s policies among overseas Vietnamese living in Australia and ensure their legitimate rights.

The PM urged overseas Vietnamese nationals to abide by the host country’s laws and make practical contributions to the homeland’s development while strengthening bilateral relations.

The same day, PM Dung met with representatives from the Association of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Australia, the Chairman of the Australia-Vietnam Friendship Association, and Australian students who will study in Vietnam in accordance with the Australian Government's New Colombo Plan.

VNA