Event marks 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic relations
RMIT University, the Victoria State Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Asian Institute for Social Studies in Australia, and the Vietnam - Australia Policy Institute has organised a special event in Melbourne to look back on the past 50 years of Vietnam-Australia relations and seek opportunities and development trends for their relationship in the way ahead.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)
Melbourne (VNA)𝓰 –RMIT University, the Victoria State Office of the Department of Foreign Affairsand Trade (DFAT), the Asian Institute for Social Studies in Australia,and the Vietnam - Australia Policy Institute has organised a specialevent in Melbourne to look back on the past 50 years of Vietnam-Australiarelations and seek opportunities and development trends for theirrelationship in the way ahead.
Speaking atthe event, Senator Tim Ayres, Australia's Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing, emphasised that Australia - Vietnam relations areincreasingly developing as the two countries have a lot in common,especially sharing their commitment to building a stable, peaceful, resilient,and prosperous world, especially in Southeast Asia, a toppriority of the Australian Government. Tim affirmed that these common points pave the way for cooperation between the twocountries. The joint implementation of concrete and tangible actions will helpthe two countries seize cooperation opportunities in various fields, including economy, trade and education. He said that350,000 Vietnamese Australians have contributing to creating a multicultural and modernAustralia.
VietnameseAmbassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh said that many activities have been held in the past five decades, helping bring the twocountries' ties from friendship to partnership.
🍷 The ambassador affirmed that the bilateral relationship between Australia andVietnam has achieved great results in all socio-economic fields. Bilateral tradehas expanded 20% in the period 2018-2022,reaching a record of 23.5 billion AUD (15.73 billion USD) in 2022, makingAustralia the 7th largest trading partner of Vietnam. For the first time,Vietnam became Australia's 10th largest trading partner.
People-to-peopleexchanges have also been strengthened through thelarge number of Vietnamese Australians, who continue to play an important rolein promoting friendship and understanding between the people of the twocountries.
🎉 Australia hasalso emerged as one of the leading overseas education markets for Vietnamesestudents. Over the past 22 years, RMIT University - the first andlargest foreign-owned university in the Southeast Asian country - has continuedto support the Government of Vietnam with human resources improvement in order to help Vietnam become ahigh-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2045./.
Vietnam and Australia need to develop bilateral trade in a more balanced way by promoting the export of Vietnamese products to the Southwest Pacific nation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while receiving Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell in Hanoi on April 17.
A Vietnam-Australia trade and tourism promotion conference was held by Vietnam Airlines, Thien Minh Group and Vinpearl JSC in Sydney on April 19, drawing a large number of Australian businesses and travel firms from different Australian localities.
A multimedia installation exhibition named “Walking Through A Songline” opened at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi on April 27, as part of celebrations to mark the 50th founding anniversary of Australia-Vietnam diplomatic relations.
Vietnam Airlines will officially launch a direct route between Hanoi and Melbourne of Australia on June 15, with two round-trip flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays.
Vietjet will increase the frequency of flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne and Sydney (Australia) to respond to the big demand for visiting relatives, traveling and studying abroad of people and tourists.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) 
