The visit aims to enhance mutual understanding and the friendship relationship between HCMC and Australia as well as between Vietnam and Australia.
According to schedule, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan will visit and work with government agencies, organizations and businesses in Australia to boost the two sides’ relationship in all fields covering smart city, innovation, hi-tech agriculture and education.
The visit plays a significant role amid the good development of the multifaceted relationship between Vietnam and Australia. The two countries have upgraded their relations into strategic partnership in March 2018 within the framework of the visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Australia.
In August 2019, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid an official visit to Vietnam. During the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement to strongly strengthen cooperation in three fields including economic field, science and technology and defense.
In addition the relationship between HCMC and Australia in general and Australian states in particular has been stepped up. The city has signed a cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Aside from that, the city has promoted cooperation with other states such as Victoria and Queensland.
In 2018-2019, HCMC welcomed delegations from the Australian Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, President of the Senate, Governor of Queensland, Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
The two-way trade turnover between HCMC and Australia reached US$979 million in 2018. Currently, the country has 182 investment projects in HCMC with the total capital of nearly $188 million, ranking 17th out of 106 nations and territories investing in the city.
The number of Australian visitors to HCMC approximated 308,000 in 2018, making the country among the top ten nations in the number of visitors to HCMC.
In addition, the two sides’ activities in other fields namely education, technology, innovation, culture and society have been implemented vigorously.
In the evening on December 1, Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan together with Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Ngo Huong Nam and representatives of some agencies from HCMC met Australian businesses to introduce to them investment environment in the city.
