Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomes Australian counterpart Penny Wong
WVR - On the morning of August 22, at the Headquarters of the Ministry, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomed Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and co-chaired the 5th Vietnam - Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
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| On the morning of August 22, at the Headquarters of the Ministry, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong co-chaired the 5th Vietnam-Ausralia Foreign Ministers Meeting on the occasion of Ms. Penny Wong's official visit to Vietnam. (Photo: TWVR/Tuan Anh) |
Welcoming Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son expressed his pleasure to meet his counterpart again after attending the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meetings (AMM-56) in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July 2023.
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| This is Minister Penny Wong's second visit to Vietnam, following a visit in May 2022 - just a month after Ms. Penny Wong took office as Foreign Minister. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
This is Minister Penny Wong's second visit to Vietnam, following a visit in May 2022, just a month after Ms. Penny Wong took office as Foreign Minister. And in more than a year in her new role, Minister Penny Wong has met with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son four times as her affirmation that Australia's future is closely linked to the future of Southeast Asia.
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| The visit to Vietnam by Foreign Minister Penny Wong took place in the context of the two countries having many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1973-2023). (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
The visit to Vietnam by Foreign Minister Penny Wong took place in the context of the two countries having many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1973-2023). Notably, the presence of the Head of the Australian Diplomatic Service in Hanoi happens not long after the visit of the Governor-General of Australia David Hurley (April 2023) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (June 2023).
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| The consultation mechanism between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries has started since 2018 and so far there have been 4 meetings. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
The consultation mechanism between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries has started since 2018 and so far there have been 4 meetings. During this 5th meeting, the two countries will review the implementation of the outcomes of recent high-level visits, especially in the fields of economy - trade, security and defense, education and training, labor and agriculture, and set out directions to promote relations in the coming time.
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| Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed the Guest Book at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
Vietnam and Australia have more than 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms which have been maintained flexibly. Besides the Foreign Ministers Meeting, other important mechanisms can be mentioned such as the annual meeting of two Prime Ministers, two Defense Ministers and the Conference on Economic Partnership and Cooperation between localities.
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| Currently, economic and trade cooperation is a priority area in developing relations between Vietnam and Australia. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
Currently, economic and trade cooperation is a priority area in developing relations between Vietnam and Australia. The two countries participate in many economic cooperation frameworks, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Free Trade Agreement. ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade (AANZFTA).
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| The two sides are implementing Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy. The Australian Government has developed the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, considering Vietnam as a center in this strategy. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
The two sides are implementing Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy. The Australian Government has developed the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, considering Vietnam as a center in this strategy.
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| In 2022, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Australia had a breakthrough growth, reaching a new record of 15.7 billion USD, up 26.91% over the previous year. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
In 2022, two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Australia had a breakthrough growth, reaching a new record of 15.7 billion USD, up 26.91% over the previous year.
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| The land of kangaroos is currently one of the largest non-refundable ODA to Vietnam, so far totaling 3 billion AUD (about 47,000 billion VND). (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
The land of kangaroos is currently one of the largest non-refundable ODA to Vietnam, so far totaling 3 billion AUD (about 47,000 billion VND). On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Minister Bui Thanh Son thanked the Australian Government for increasing ODA development aid for Vietnam to AUD 95.1 million for the fiscal year 2023-2024.
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| On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Minister Bui Thanh Son thanked the Australian Government for increasing ODA development aid for Vietnam to AUD 95.1 million for the fiscal year 2023-2024. (Photo: WVR/Tuan Anh) |
It could be said that, since establishing diplomatic relations in February 1973 and upgrading to a Strategic Partnership in March 2018, Vietnam-Australia relations are developing stronger than ever.
(Source: WVR)
