Hanoi (VNA) –🉐 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on February 14 received a delegation of senior editors from leading Australian news agencies, who are in Hanoi as part of the Senior Editors Programme, organised by the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Led by Renee Deschamps, Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, the delegation included representatives from The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, The Australian, The Conversation, and The Australian Financial Review. Deschamps stressed that the visit provides a valuable opportunity for in-depth discussions with Vietnamese ministries and agencies regarding the country’s socio-economic development and future growth strategies, as well as its relations, and shared regional and global concerns with Australia. Hang affirmed that Vietnam views Australia as a key strategic partner in the region and noted that the recent upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024 has opened numerous cooperation opportunities, not only in traditional sectors but also in emerging fields. Since this upgrade, political trust has been further consolidated, with both nations sharing similar perspectives on various regional and global issues. Their collaboration in trade, investment, security, defence, and people-to-people exchanges has grown practically and effectively. Highlighting the presence of over 30,000 Vietnamese students in Australia, the official expressed her hope that the Australian Government would consider easing visa regulations to facilitate more Vietnamese students studying in the country. She also praised the establishment of the Vietnam-Australia Centre at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Australia-Vietnam Policy Institute at RMIT University in Melbourne as significant milestones in the bilateral relations. Hang informed her guests about the Vietnamese community in Australia, which consists of more than 350,000 people actively contributing to the host nation’s politics, economy, and culture while cultivating the Vietnam-Australia ties. Recognising Australia as one of Vietnam’s largest non-refundable Official Development Assistance (ODA) donors, she acknowledged that these projects have played a critical role in supporting Vietnam’s realisation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Senior Australian editors expressed their delight at participating in the programme for the first time in Vietnam. They were impressed by the country’s natural beauty, dynamic growth, and notable socio-economic achievements. They hoped the visit will lead to recommendations for enhancing cooperation, particularly in education, training, cultural exchanges, security, and maritime collaboration. Both sides discussed and proposed measures to deepen cooperation in traditional fields while exploring potential partnerships in labour, logistics, infrastructure development, renewable energy, and digital transformation. On this occasion, Hang invited major Australian media outlets to send correspondents to cover key Vietnamese events this year, including the 50th anniversary of South liberation and national reunification, and the 80th anniversary of National Day./.