Addressing a reception for the outgoing diplomat in Hanoi on June 25, Deputy PM Minh stated that during Chittick’s term, the two countries have maintained the regular exchange of delegations, with seven high-level visits, in addition to establishing a dialogue mechanism between the two Foreign Ministers, and are currently working together in designing an action programme for the implementation of the strategic partnership for the next three years.
Concerning development cooperation, the deputy PM asked Australia to continue providing official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam, affirming that the projects using Australia’s ODA loans have been contributing to accelerating Vietnam’s socio-economic development, especially the projects involving developing transport infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region.
He thanked Australia for supporting Vietnam in the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces during recent times, while asking for close coordination in preparing for the high-level visits between the two countries in the future.
For his part, Ambassador Craig Chittick expressed his deep sentiments for the Vietnamese land and people, and spoke highly of Vietnam’s development achievements as well as the country’s position in the region and in the world.
The diplomat congratulated Vietnam on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term in a near-unanimous vote.
