Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan held talks with President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan after an official welcome ceremony in Hanoi on January 21.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) shakes hands with President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan

At the meeting, Ngan expressed her hope that the high-ranking delegation of the Australian Senate’s current visit to Vietnam, led by Ryan, will contribute to consolidating and promoting the two countries’ strategic partnership.

The Australian Senate President highlighted that Vietnam-Australia relations are expanding across many sectors, particularly in education, trade, public administration, science-technology, and other strategic cooperation fields.

Agreeing with his host, Ryan highlighted the sound growth of bilateral parliamentary ties based on signed agreements. He added that both sides have sustained their exchange of all-level delegations and experience in parliamentary activities, increased mutual understanding and bilateral cooperation, as well as supported each other at multilateral parliamentary forums.

The Australian parliament has worked closely with Vietnam’s National Assembly in experience exchange and capacity building for deputies and particularly female legislators, he said.

Ngan expressed her delight at the effective cooperation between the two governments throughout the past, noting that the upgrade of relations to a strategic partnership – as part of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s official trip to Australia in March last year – has created favourable conditions for bilateral ties during the new development period. Within the framework of a strategic partnership, Vietnam and Australia have three more annual ministerial dialogues due in foreign affairs, defence, and economics.

Bilateral trade has grown by 7 percent on an annual basis. Australia has so far invested in 426 projects in Vietnam worth nearly 1.9 billion USD, ranking 19th out of the 128 countries and territories investing in the country.

The NA Chairwoman said she expects Australia to continue its support for Vietnam in developing basic infrastructure, agriculture, rural areas, and a high quality workforce; alleviating poverty; and adapting to climate change.

She highlighted that bilateral security-defence collaboration has been strengthened toward mutual trust and practical outcomes, particularly in terms of English language training, UN peacekeeping missions, and terrorism and trans-border crime prevention.

Agreeing with Ngan, the Australian senator said Vietnam has affirmed its role in the region and exemplified its responsibility to the international community via engagement in UN peacekeeping missions.

Regarding regional and international cooperation, the NA Chairwoman said she welcomed Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, which prioritised its relationships with Southeast Asia and with the ASEAN, including Vietnam, as well as the country’s trilateral joint statement with the US and Japan on investing in infrastructure development in the Asia-Pacific. 

She stated that Vietnam will actively contribute to boosting the ties between Australia and ASEAN, as well as with other regional countries, particularly at high-level meetings in the region.

Ngan also underscored close collaboration between the two nations at regional and international forums, especially the UN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the ASEAN, the ASEAN-Australia- New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). She took the occasion to thank the Australian Government for its support of Vietnam’s bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021.

In addition, bilateral tourism cooperation is on the rise, with 420,000 Australian tourists visiting Vietnam and over 250 Vietnamese registering to the Australian working holiday visa programme.

Ngan said she expects that, once the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) goes through, these figures will increase significantly. She asked Australia to continue facilitating Vietnamese citizens taking part in the programme.

The top legislator also asked her guest to continue assisting the Vietnamese community in Australia.

For his part, Ryan agreed with his host in saying that educational cooperation will lay the basis for increasing mutual understanding between the two countries, particularly among their youths.

Vietnam and Australia signed collaboration agreements on education and training, as well as on vocational training for the 2018-2023 period. There were nearly 30,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia last year, making them the fifth biggest foreign student community in the country. Meanwhile, some 1,000 Australian students also studied in Vietnam under the New Colombo Plan.

The Australian official said the relationship shared between the two peoples is a firm foundation for the development of economic ties in specific areas. 

He affirmed that Australia wants to stand side-by-side with Vietnam along its development and to help the country sustainably maintain its economic growth via human resources training and policy development programmes.

After being informed by his host that the Vietnamese NA ratified the CPTPP in November 2018, Ryan said the pact is an important achievement for countries in the region, helping them reduce trade barriers. He said the CPTPP will support Vietnam and Australia’s boosting of trade and economic partnerships.

At the talks, Ngan proposed that the two parliaments increase delegation exchanges at all levels and via all channels, particularly between their specialised committees. 

The implementation of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two law-making bodies, an action plan for 2016-2019, and agreements and deals secured by the two countries in recent high-ranking visits are all necessary next steps, she added.

The top legislator also recommended the sides facilitate people-to-people exchange, promote the role of friendship associations and friendship parliamentarians’ groups in both nations, and increase the exchange of such groups.

Lauding Vietnam’s hosting of the 26th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in 2018, Ryan asked Vietnam to share its organisation experience so that Australia can hold the APPF-28 in 2020 as successfully as expected.

Vietnam-Australia relations now at best level ever: PM Phuc

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received Australian Senate President Scott Ryan in Hanoi on January 21, saying that Vietnam-Australia relations are now at the best level ever.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Australian Senate President Scott Ryan at their meeting in Hanoi on January 21

Welcoming his guest’s official visit to Vietnam, PM Phuc expressed his belief that the trip will help consolidate the two countries’ strategic partnership as well as connections between the two parliaments.

He said the Vietnamese Government will work closely with its Australian counterpart to realise the joint statement on the establishment of the strategic partnership.

The two sides will effectively maintain existing cooperation mechanisms and promote the implementation of new ones within the framework of the strategic partnership, including meetings between their foreign ministers, defence ministers, and ministers in charge of economic affairs.

Regarding measures to bring bilateral trade and investment on par with the strategic partnership, he said the countries should reduce and remove trade barriers, especially to agricultural and aquatic products like fresh fruit and shrimp, while facilitating activities of each other’s businesses.

Vietnam and Australia should also enhance cooperation in education-training, culture, tourism, sports and people-to-people exchange, creating solid foundation for expanding ties across the board at both central and local levels.

In particular, they need to strengthen labour cooperation, the PM said, suggesting them make use of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to increase the quota for Vietnamese workers under the Work and Holiday Programme, thus helping increase high-quality labourers for both countries.

The Government leader appreciated Australia’s continued provision of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, affirming that the ODA has always been used effectively and contributed to local development. 

PM Phuc also spoke highly of Australia’s defence ties with Vietnam, especially in training in English and peacekeeping activities. He particularly welcomed its assistance in transporting all equipment and servicemen of Vietnam to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

He asked Australia to keep cooperating with Vietnam to ensure national security through controlling and handling terrorist individuals or organisations who may take advantage of Australia’s territory to conduct sabotage activities against Vietnam.

At the meeting, PM Phuc also hailed the two countries’ close coordination at regional and international forums, particularly the UN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN-led mechanisms. He thanked Australia for helping Vietnam successfully organise the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Year 2017 and pledging to support the ASEAN nation’s candidacy for non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

In 2019, Vietnam will keep working with Australia to ensure the success of high-level regional meetings like the East Asia Summit, ASEAN-Australia meetings, and APEC meetings, he said, adding that as the seventh country to ratify the CPTPP, it will also cooperate strongly with Australia to implement this deal.

In terms of the East Sea issue, the PM said Vietnam highly values and hopes that Australia will continue the strong voice and support for ASEAN and Vietnam’s stance on this regard. He called on Australia to promote the serious and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the early finalisation of a legally binding Code of Conduct in the waters.

He also expressed his hope for more support for Vietnam to improve its sea management capacity, build and carry out maritime policies, and train experts on the law of the sea.

For his part, Australian Senate President Scott Ryan said his country pays special attention to the cooperation with Vietnam, noting he is happy that bilateral relations are developing strongly in all fields.

More and more young Vietnamese have come to study in Australia, which reflects the increasingly solidified trust between the two countries, he said, noting that under the New Colombo Plan, 2,500 Australian lecturers and students will come to Vietnam, and they will be an important bridge and driving force for bilateral ties in public investment, innovation and education-training.

Regarding the thriving parliamentary links, Ryan said he believes that these connections will develop even more comprehensively and strongly in the future. He added Australia always respects Vietnam’s proposals for enhancing bilateral ties.

He also appreciated the Vietnamese Government’s support for the two countries’ relations and called for more concrete activities to promote partnerships, especially in trade.

Both sides want a peaceful and stable region for sustainable economic growth, the President said, adding that his country always recognises Vietnam’s efforts in this regard and UN peacekeeping activities, which shows Vietnam as a responsible member of the international community.

Ryan said as President of the Australian Senate, he will make utmost efforts to support the Southeast Asian nation’s development and integration into the world.

NA Secretary General meets with Australian Senate President

NA Secretary General Nguyen Hanh Phuc (R) and President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan 

Secretary General of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyen Hanh Phuc paid a courtesy visit to visiting President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan in Hanoi on January 21.

Phuc, who is President of the Vietnam-Australian Friendship Parliamentarians Group, said he is happy to see Ryan during his official visit to Vietnam.

He recalled the visit of the high-ranking NA delegation to Australia and their attendance at a hearing of the Senate from which changes were later made in the Vietnam National Assembly’s question-and-answer session which have been appreciated by voters.

He said activities of the friendship parliamentarian groups have become an important part of inter-parliamentary diplomat, noting that the Vietnam-Australia Friendship Parliamentarian Group had regular meetings with the Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam to keep each other briefed of issues of shared concerns.

He expressed his hope that Australia will support Vietnam in improving the quality and competitiveness of its commodities during the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Australian parliament will help the Vietnam NA to build an e-National Assembly library.

Ryan said the bilateral relations between the two countries and law-making bodies are growing intensively and extensively.

As CPTPP members, the two countries would reinforce their ties, and work together more closely, he said.

He said he believes that cooperation in education and training will have new mechanisms serving as a firm foundation for bilateral ties, adding he will discuss with competent agencies on training programmes for officials of the Vietnam NA. 

He asserted that he will always pay attention to the partnership in education, the sharing of experience, and cooperation in culture and exchanges between the two countries.

VNA