NA Chairman holds online talks with Speaker of Australian lower house

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and House of Representatives Speaker Tony Smith (R) during the phone talks on June 7, 2021

Both sides affirmed that the Viet Nam-Australia strategic partnership is growing in a more reliable, practical, and deeper manner. Despite the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have maintained regular exchanges and contacts, most recently a phone call between Prime Ministers Pham Minh Chinh and Scott Morrison and the signing of an Action Program to implement the Strategic Partnership for the 2020-2023 period.

Bilateral trade turnover reached US$8.3 billion  in 2020, up 5% year-on-year. Australia is still supporting Viet Nam in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, and has increased its investment in the country in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, and education.

In addition, the relations between the two countries’ legislative bodies have also developed well on the basis of the new phase cooperation agreement between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the Parliament of Australia both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Vuong took the occasion to invite Smith to visit Viet Nam in the lead up to 50th founding anniversary of the Viet Nam-Australia diplomatic relations (1973-2023).

He emphasized the need for the two countries’ parliamentarian groups to increase exchanges and share experiences in legislation and supervision, as well as in implementing free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Hailing Australia as a country that plays an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, the top Vietnamese legislator suggested the two sides continue to maintain exchanges and meetings at all levels, extend the duration of stay and reduce visa costs for Vietnamese citizens, create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese students to come back to Australia for their study, support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, and transfer vaccine production technology to needy countries, including Viet Nam.

For his part, Smith agreed with the Vietnamese NA leader’s proposals to cement bilateral diplomatic and parliamentary relations, while expressing his belief in a bright future for both countries.

Regarding the issue of COVID-19 vaccine, he revealed that Australia has committed to providing Viet Nam with AUD40 million (US$30.9 million) to access COVID-19 vaccines.

He expressed his wish to visit Viet Nam as soon as the two countries reopen their borders.

During their talks, the two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. With regards to the East Sea issue, they affirmed their consistent stance of maintaining peace, stability, navigation and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

By Vien Nhu