Viet Nam and Australia are now enjoying the favourable conditions of “timing, geography and harmony” to nurture a closer bond built on mutual understanding and trust, working together to usher bilateral relations into a new phase of development.
The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023 was a significant occasion for both countries to look back on their long journey and to acknowledge the tireless efforts of generations of leaders and citizens who have helped cultivate today’s friendship and strong partnership.
Sharing a vision of building a peaceful, stable, cooperative, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, the two nations regard each other as genuine friends and trusted partners. Visiting Viet Nam shortly before the country’s celebration of its 80th National Day, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed profound respect for the values embedded in Viet Nam’s history, particularly its development achievements, resilience, determination, and patriotism.
Penny Wong affirmed: “You understand deeply the importance of defending your country and preserving sovereignty - this is a vital part of your national identity, and it is also a precious gift to the region.”
Despite being located in different regions, the economic ties between Viet Nam and Australia have become increasingly strong, as both are members of free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), which provide substantial tariff advantages. Many Vietnamese products have successfully penetrated the Australian market and established their brand reputation, such as shrimp, basa fish, and cashew nuts.
The two economies are also highly complementary: Viet Nam excels in electronics, machinery, textiles, and footwear, while Australia has an abundance of high-quality resources and fuels. Notably, agricultural products from the two nations do not compete but rather complement each other, providing a crucial basis for advancing robust economic and trade cooperation in the years ahead.
Furthermore, the upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March 2024 has created important opportunities for economic cooperation to enter a new stage of growth. Bilateral trade in 2024 reached more than 14 billion USD, up 2.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
In reality, Viet Nam and Australia still hold significant untapped potential for collaboration, particularly in fields where Viet Nam has set priorities and Australia has strengths, such as high technology, innovation, clean energy, mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, services, tourism, and high-tech agriculture. With such ample scope for cooperation, the two countries are aiming to soon raise two-way trade to 20 billion USD by further facilitating each other’s exports.
Building on the solid achievements of practical, effective and comprehensive cooperation, and realising the commitment to bring bilateral relations into a new chapter, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn and her spouse will pay a state visit to Viet Nam from September 9 to 12, 2025.
The Australian Embassy in Viet Nam underlined that the visit highlights the trust, depth and steady growth of relations between the two nations. It also follows the momentum of recent high-level exchanges, including the visit to Ha Noi by Foreign Minister Penny Wong in August 2025.
The strong foundation established over more than 50 years allows Viet Nam and Australia to look forward with confidence to even greater progress in bilateral ties. At a time when the regional and global landscape is witnessing complex and unpredictable changes, deepening the friendship and sound cooperation between Viet Nam and Australia is both a shared aspiration and a source of benefit for the peoples of both nations.
