HCM City marks 50th anniversary of Vietnam - Australia diplomatic ties
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on February 24 to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam - Australia diplomatic relations (February 26, 1973 - 2023).
HCM City (VNA) – The People’sCommittee of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on February 24 to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam - Australia diplomaticrelations (February 26, 1973 - 2023).
In his remarks, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said the two countries have obtained numerousachievements in their relations, from politics, investment, trade to education,development cooperation, and security - defence.
Economic cooperation is one of thehighlights. Last year, Australia was the seventh largest trading partner ofVietnam, with bilateral trade topping 15.6 billion USD. Australia ranked 20th among 141 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asiannation, with 583 projects worth nearly 2 billion USD. Many big enterprises ofVietnam such as Hoa Phat, Sovico, and VCB are also operating in Australia.
On that basis, trade and investment linksbetween HCM City and Australia are also thriving, he went on, elaborating that annualbilateral trade has surpassed 1.2 billion USD, and Australia now has 274investment projects worth over 200 million USD in the southern metropolis.
HCM City also has dynamic relations intrade, education - training, innovation, culture, tourism, and people-to-peopleexchange with such Australian states as Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland,and the Northern Territory.
Expressing his gratitude to generationsof the two countries’ leaders and people for their unceasing efforts to buildup the bilateral ties, Mai expressed his belief that the dynamic growth of HCM City- Australia relations will greatly contribute to the sustainable development ofthe relationship between the two nations.
Addressing the event, AustralianAmbassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that after five decades, thetwo countries have built a special friendship and partnership on the basis ofmutual trust, paving the way for the establishment of the strategic partnershipin 2018 and the commitment to upgrade the relationship to a comprehensivestrategic partnership in the future.
As a trade and economic centre and ahub for people-to-people links, HCM City plays a critically important role inthe Australia - Vietnam relations. About 75% of Australia’s investment inVietnam is poured into the southern region, concentrating in HCM City and nearbyprovinces. The city has also recorded positive results in education cooperation,as seen in the presence of RMIT University and Western Sydney University,according to the diplomat.
The ambassador said he believed that with thestrong connections between the two countries’ citizens and the two governments, the bilateral relations will develop even more to obtain numerous achievements indifferent fields such as innovation, climate change response, education -training, and defence - security. At the same time, HCM City will maintain its core rolein the enhancement of those ties./.
The third security dialogue at the deputy-ministerial level between Vietnam and Australia took place in Canberra on February 22 to enhance bilateral cooperation in security and law enforcement issues of common concern.
From a backward, poor and essentially rural-based society and economy, isolated from the rest of the world, Vietnam has developed into a thriving, dynamic, modern, middle-income country with extensive international commercial and human links, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Graham Alliband has said.
The Vietnam-Australia relations are at their best-ever development in both strategic scope and depth, a researcher has said, stressing that economic and trade cooperation is considered a priority in promoting the bilateral relations.
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.
At the ceremony (Photo: VNA) 
