The Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership has developed strongly, substantively and effectively over the past years. Bilateral political trust has been increased, especially through the exchange of visits and high-level delegations. Leaders of the two countries agreed on the lifting of Vietnam-Australia relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership at an appropriate time.
Bilateral cooperation mechanisms have been well maintained. Cooperation documents have been actively implemented, in which the action plan for implementing the strategic partnership in the 2020 - 2023 period 3 has reaped specific results.
Vietnam and Australia have gained remarkable progresses in economic cooperation. Two-way trade reached almost 15.7 billion USD in 2022, up nearly 27% from 2021. As of February 2, 2023, Australian investors are operating 590 projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of approximately US$2 billion, while Vietnamese businesses have invested in 88 projects in Australia, worth US$592.3 million.
The two countries have cooperated substantively and effectively in security and defence, and upgraded annual defence dialogue at the ministerial level in 2022. The exchange of delegations, cooperation in crime prevention, exchange of information and experiences, including in the field of peacekeeping, have been enhanced. The Royal Australian Navy has assisted in transporting Vietnam's field hospital to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan.
Bilateral cooperation in the fields of education-training, labour, agriculture, and tourism has been actively developed and has great potential for further growth. Australia has been maintaining stable official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam and is a major COVID-19 vaccine donor of Vietnam.
Australia also fosters cooperation with Vietnam in new fields such as climate change response, digital transformation, and energy transformation.
Australia actively supports Vietnam at regional and international forums, most recently supporting Vietnam's candidacy and election as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure.
Vietnam and Australia have maintained coordination in regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea/South China Sea issue, as well as fostering cooperation at multilateral organisations, forums, and free trade agreements in which both countries participate, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
In 2023, Vietnam and Australia celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and the 5th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership. The visit of PM Albanese is made just two months after the State visit to Vietnam by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, reflecting that Australia’s appreciation for the bilateral relations and wish to enhance cooperation with Vietnam.
The visit by PM Albanese is expected to reinforce political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, especially in the fields of politics, diplomacy, security, defence, economy, investment, labour, technology, climate change response, and people-to-people exchanges. It also contributes to strengthening bilateral coordination in regional and international issues of common stance, as well as at multilateral organisations and forums.
Welcoming the official visit of the Australian Prime Minister, Vietnam affirmed its consistent policy of attaching importance to and wishing to develop the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership. It is also an occasion for Vietnam to continue realising its consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, diversification, multilateralisation, and being a good friend, a reliable partner, and an active and responsible member of the international community.
The success of the official visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will contribute to lifting the Vietnam-Australia Strategic Partnership in the new stage of development, towards making contributions to the stability, cooperation, and development of the region and the world at large.
