These are the first official visits by Vuong Dinh Hue to Australia and New Zealand as the Chairman of National Assembly and are also the first visit to Australia and New Zealand by a senior Vietnamese leader since Vietnam and the two countries reopened fully following COVID-19 pandemic.
The visits are made in the context that the internal political situation in Australia and New Zealand is basically stable and the two countries are boosting economic recovery and conducting many foreign activities. The relations between Vietnam and Australia and New Zealand maintain a positive and effective development momentum. Both Australia and New Zealand attach great importance to Vietnam's role and position and wish to strengthen their cooperation with Vietnam. The two countries are important strategic partners of Vietnam in the South Pacific region while Vietnam is a key strategic partner of Australia and New Zealand in ASEAN and the region.
Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic ties on February 26, 1973, and upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership in 2018. Cooperation between the two countries has recently seen strong development in many fields. The high-level exchanges and contacts have been maintained. The bilateral cooperation mechanisms have been carried out flexibly. The action programme for the 2020-2023 period between the two countries has been actively implemented, achieving many specific results. Australia has always provided Vietnam with a stable source of official development aid (ODA) and also supported Vietnam in its effective COVID-19 prevention and control.
Maintaining a continuous upward momentum, bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and Australia in 2021 increased by nearly 50% over that in 2020, and within the first nine months of 2022 has increased by 31.5% over the same period last year. Their cooperation on security-defence, education-training, labour and agriculture has been developed. The two sides are interested in expanding cooperation on climate change adaptation, digital transformation and energy transformation, etc. Looking towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 2023, the two sides aim to continue to elevate the Vietnam-Australia relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The diplomatic relation between Vietnam and New Zealand was established on June 19, 1975, and was upgraded into a Strategic Partnership in 2020. The two sides have been maintaining exchanges and contact at all levels in addition to bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Vietnam-New Zealand Joint Committee for Economic and Trade and the Defence Policy Dialogue. New Zealand has been always paid strong attention to Vietnam and has been providing the country with stable and increasing ODA, focusing on the areas of education – training, agriculture and sustainable development.
The economic, trade and investment cooperation is the spotlight in the Vietnam – New Zealand Strategic Partnership. The two-way trade turnover increased steadily, with 26.7% in 2021 and 13.6% in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period of previous years. The cooperation has also been strengthened in other fields such as security-defence, labour and agriculture. The two countries have also cooperated closely in ASEAN's cooperation mechanism as well as at multilateral forums and organisations.
The cooperation between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the Australian Parliament and the New Zealand Parliament has developed well on both bilateral and multilateral sides, significantly contributing to the general relations between Vietnam and the two countries. The exchanges of delegations from Vietnamese National Assembly and the Parliaments of Australia and New Zealand were interrupted due to the impact of COVID-19. However, during the phone calls and exchanges withininternational and regional conferences, Vietnam and the two countries maintained sharing of information and experiences in the fields of legislation, supervision and decision-making on important issues of the countries, while agreeing to strengthen coordination and boost the implementation of the signed agreements.
The top legislator Vuong Dinh Hue’s official vits to Australia and New Zealand aim to carry out the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress, contributing to strengthening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the two strategic partners of Vietnam in the South Pacific region, who are also two important partners of ASEAN. The results of the talks and meetings between the leaders will be the orientation for enhancing Vietnam’s cooperation with the two countries during the process of socio-economic recovery and development in the post-pandemic period as well as continuing to share, support and cooperate with each other on international and regional issues of common concern.
The welcome by Australia and New Zealand for NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam will express their respect for the strategic partnership with Vietnam as well as wishes to further enhance the cooperation between the legislative bodies, making important contributions to fostering the relations of Australia and New Zealand with Vietnam in a more practical and effective manner.
May the NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s official visits to Australia and New Zealand be great success, contributing to opening a new chapter of development and elevating Vietnam’s strategic partnerships with Australia and New Zealand.
