Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosts Australian minister

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 9 hosted a reception for visiting Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 9 hosted a reception for visiting Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

The two sides agreed to maintain and promote the exchange of delegations and all-level meetings, implement existing cooperation mechanisms in a flexible manner and effectively carry out the Vietnam-Australia action plan for 2020-2023, and the Vietnam - Australia Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES) so as to soon double the two-way trade, towards becoming one of the 10 trading partners of each other.

PM Chinh used the occasion to thank the Australian Government for its commitment of 5.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Vietnam, noting his hope that Australia will continue to support Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control, and socio-economic development.

He spoke highly of the thriving relations between Vietnam and Australia, especially the two-way trade that hit 9.1 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up more than 50 percent year-on-year despite the pandemic.

The leader appreciated Australia's continuing to provide official development assistance (ODA) at the high level for Vietnam, reaching 78.9 million AUD in the 2021-2022 financial year.

Highlighting the outcomes of the third Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Chinh said it demonstrates the two countries’ resolve to boost the strategic partnership.

The Vietnamese Government leader suggested Australia consider opening its market for a number of Vietnamese agricultural and fishery products, and implementing an agriculture visa scheme for Vietnamese labourers.

The PM also appealed to Australia to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country, extend visa for Vietnamese citizens stranded in the country due to COVID-19, and resume the reception and scholarships for Vietnamese students.

Vietnam and Australia should further support each other and support the ASEAN-Australia relations in issues regarding peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world, including Vietnam’s and ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue.

For her part, Minister Payne affirmed that Australia considers Vietnam a priority in various matters, including infrastructure development, agriculture, poverty reduction and climate change.

She supported PM Chinh’s proposals, saying Australia highly values Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue and completely backs the peaceful settlement of international disputes based on principles of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

The minister expressed her belief that Vietnam will gradually complete the target of adapting to and living safely with COVID-19.

She announced that Australia will provide another 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam, raising its total donations to more than 7.8 million doses to the Southeast Asian nation.