Foreign Minister co-chairs fourth meeting with Australian counterpart
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong co-chaired the fourth Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Canberra on September 12.
Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of ForeignAffairs Bui Thanh Son and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong co-chaired thefourth Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Canberra on September12.
♓ They affirmed determination to strengthen bilateralstrategic partnership on the back of long-standing friendship and cooperation.
The two ministers shared the view thatbilateral ties have been growing in various areas. Trade and investment havebecome a spotlight in bilateral ties with two-way trade hitting 9.6 billion USDin seven months of this year, up nearly 40% annually. Progress has been seen inanti-crimes, culture, education, tourism and labour.
They discussed ways to further deepen strategicpartnership, including holding visits at all levels and celebrations for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, bolstering bilateral economic-trade-investmentties.
Son suggested Australia expand the supply ofofficial development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam in new fields of demand, makeit easier for Vietnam’s agro-fisheries to enter Australia, firstly passionfruit, pomelo and fresh shrimp.
Wong promised to offer all possible support toVietnamese firms to do business in Australia as well as step up mutuallybeneficial cooperation in the fields of agriculture, clean energy and ODA.
✨ About labour cooperation, they will revise theMemorandum of Understanding on Agriculture Visa programme to suit newsituation.
On the occasion, Son suggested Australiaincrease quota for Vietnamese citizens to Australia under the Working HolidayVisa programme, as well as create conditions for the Vietnamese community inAustralia to contribute to bilateral ties.
Both sides mulled ways to consolidate ties intraditional fields such as national defence-security, education-training andtourism. They vowed to reinforce coordination in new fields like climate changeresponse, digital transformation, digital economy, energy and food security,and workforce training.
On regional and global issues of sharedconcern, they consented to continue offering mutual support at multilateralorganisations and forums, especially at ASEAN and the United Nations.
Wong affirmed that Australia treasurescomprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN and ASEAN’s central role in the region.She pledged to boost collaboration for the sub-Mekong region’s sustainable developmentwithin the framework of the Mekong-Australia Partnership.
💫 Both ministers also agreed to intensify cooperation at sea to maintain peace and stability in the region and the EastSea./.
Vietnamese Students in Australia (SVAU) convened its second congress in Canberra on August 6 to review its performance during the 2020-2022 tenure and map out plans for the next term from 2022 – 2024.
The Hanoi chapter of the Vietnam – Australia Friendship Association held its sixth Congress for the 2022-2027 tenure on August 26 to review the past achievements and outline working orientations for new tenure.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh has written an article highlighting outstanding achievements in Vietnam – Australia ties over the past five decades on the threshold of the official Australia visit by Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
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.
At the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
