Sydney (VNA) – Australia continues to see Vietnam as one of its key partners in Asia-Pacific, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on November 30.
At the talks, Minh, who is on an official visit to Australia from November 29 to December 1, said his country wants to enhance intensive and effective cooperation with Australia in all fields for the sake of the two peoples.
Both sides expressed their delight at the flourishing relations between their countries and between the two foreign ministries, especially since Vietnam and Australia set up the comprehensive partnership in 2009 and signed a declaration on enhancing the comprehensive partnership in 2015.
The countries have regularly organised high-level visits and meetings and brought into full play bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the high-level consultation on development assistance, the joint committee on scientific and technological cooperation, the foreign affairs-defence strategic dialogue, and the agricultural forum.
Australia is currently the eighth largest trade partner of Vietnam and also accommodates the biggest number of Vietnamese students. Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation has received a large number of Australian students and apprentices under the New Colombo Plan.
Australia’s development assistance for Vietnam has been used effectively, thus practically contributing to local socio-economic development, the two FMs noted.
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