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| Ambassador Pham Hung Tam received Mr. Logan K. Howlett, Mayor of the City of Cockburn, Western Australia on June 23, 2025. |
On June 23, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam received Mr. Logan K. Howlett, Mayor of the City of Cockburn, Western Australia.
During the meeting, Mayor Logan K. Howlett highlighted Cockburn's strengths and potential across key sectors such as maritime, shipbuilding, healthcare, and heavy industry. He noted that Cockburn is set to host one of Australia’s strategic submarine maintenance facilities.
He also shared that the University of Western Australia is considering the establishment of a research center focused on ocean technology development. This, he said, demonstrates Cockburn’s vast development potential and growing job opportunities—particularly for international students studying in Australia who may seek employment in sectors such as construction upon graduation.
Cockburn currently maintains cooperation with several Southeast Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It is also twinned with Yueyang City in China’s Hunan Province and Mobile City in the U.S. state of Alabama.
Regarding future cooperation with Vietnam, Mayor Logan K. Howlett revealed plans to lead a delegation of around 25 businesses from sectors including education, trade, and maritime to Vietnam in early 2026. The visit will include a stop in Da Nang, where a Cockburn-based shipbuilding company is operating in a local industrial zone.
Ambassador Pham Hung Tam welcomed these developments, noting that Vietnam is actively diversifying its trade partnerships and Australia is increasingly gaining attention from Vietnamese investors and businesses. As both countries are parties to several regional trade agreements, the Ambassador stressed the considerable potential for further cooperation.
Currently, approximately 37,000 Vietnamese students are studying at Australian secondary and tertiary institutions, making Vietnam one of the top five sources of international students in Australia.
The Ambassador also pointed out that Vietnam has a well-trained workforce of engineers and construction workers, many of whom have worked in high-standard markets such as Japan. This aligns well with Cockburn's current infrastructure development needs. Furthermore, Vietnamese glass manufacturers are seeking to import Australian coal, presenting another area for bilateral trade cooperation.
He emphasized that in addition to maritime and shipbuilding, potential areas of interest for Cockburn include education, skilled labor exchange in construction, and coal exports to Vietnam.
Underscoring the importance of people-to-people exchange and local-level partnerships within the framework of the Vietnam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam expressed hope that the Cockburn city government would actively explore and promote the establishment of a sister-city relationship with a suitable Vietnamese partner.
