Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam will make an all-out effort to remove difficultiesfacing Australian enterprises when exporting to Vietnam during the COVID-19crisis, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh told Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment SimonBirmingham during phone talks on the morning of May 8.

The twoministers agreed on ways to work together to restore supply chains andcooperation within multilateral frameworks disrupted by COVID-19 after thepandemic has been brought under control.

Theydiscussed ways to put each among the other’s top 10 trading partners andprovide broader access for agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

They agreedto soon resume maritime transport and flights between the two countries andcoordinate to diversify supply chains so they are less dependent on certainsuppliers, while promoting investment and technology transfer in energy,mining, metallurgy, and support industries.

Minister Anh said that,at present, one of the most effective measures to cushion the blow from COVID-19is to enhance bilateral cooperation in utilising existing free trade agreements.

Hesuggested the two countries further strengthen concerted efforts in trade promotionsand partnerships between the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam and theAustralian Anti-dumping Commission to improve the effectiveness of support for businesscommunities and prevent unnecessary clashes in the area of trade.

Minister Birmingham,for his part, said Australia hopes that, as ASEAN Chair, Vietnam will workalongside other economies in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP) to soon complete preparations for the signing of the trade deal thisyear.

He thanked theMinistry of Industry and Trade for its timely support and close coordination indeepening bilateral trade relations.

He agreedto speak with the Australian Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Environment about Minister Anh’s proposal to fast-track procedures for giving Vietnam approval to exportfarm produce, fishery products, and fresh fruit, including passion fruit andrambutan, to Australia.

Vietnam andAustralia lifted ties to a strategic partnership in March 2018.

Two-waytrade exceeded 2 billion USD in the first quarter of this year, up 13.4 percentyear-on-year. Vietnam’s exports toAustralia totalled 924.4 million USD, an increase of 11.65 percent, whileimports were worth nearly 1.1 billion USD, up 15 percent./.