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| Secretary of the Party Committee of HCMC Nguyen Van Nen (R) shakes hands with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (Photo: VNA) |
Secretary Nguyen Van Nen highlighted the significance of Wong’s trip, affirming that it will generate new momentum for the bilateral relationship, especially as the two countries are marking the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations and the five years of the strategic partnership (2018 - 2023).
Over the past half-century, the Vietnam-Australia relationship has witnessed robust development, characterized by harmonious bond and deepening political trust, and increasingly comprehensive, practical, and effective cooperation across various domains, he said.
Secretary Nguyen Van Nen spoke highly of Wong’s support for promoting cooperation between HCMC and Australian partners.
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Secretary of the Party Committee of HCMC Nguyen Van Nen (third, right), Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and delegates at the reception (Photo: VNA) |
HCMC and Australian partners have maintained a strong and cooperative relationship in the spheres of investment, education, and healthcare, he said, stressing that the southern metropolis aspires to further enhance cooperation with Australian partners, particularly in such areas as high-quality human resources training, energy transition, urban infrastructure development, and climate change mitigation.
He expressed his belief that the Australian guest’ official visit to Vietnam helps not only tighten Vietnam-Australia relations but also opens up new cooperation opportunities between the governments, businesses, and people of the two countries.
The shared interests and concerns between the two countries, coupled with their trust, expectations, and determination, will help create even more effective breakthroughs in bilateral relations in the near future, he said.
For her part, Wong said the high-level visits between the two countries this year demonstrate their mutual interest and common goals in developing bilateral relations, towards mutual benefits for the stable development and prosperity of the region.
According to the Australian official, looking back on the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Australia takes pride in its endeavors to promote bilateral relations, including upgrading the relationship to a strategic partnership which serves as a foundation for the two countries to robustly promote cooperation activities across all fields.
Australia consistently recognizes HCMC as a vital component of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam, and it has a desire to further strengthen close cooperation activities with the southern hub in areas of mutual interest, she went on.
Acknowledging the cooperation proposal from HCMC’s leader, Wong stated that the Australian Government recently decided to provide AUD94.5 million (over US$60.76 million) for climate change mitigation efforts to be implemented in the Mekong Delta region.
Australia wants to collaborate with Vietnam, including HCMC, in building a legal framework for educational cooperation between the two sides, thus making it easier for Australian academies and universities to establish branches in the city, as well as promote student exchange activities between the two countries, she added.
During her stay in HCMC, Wong will have a talkshow with students of the University of Economics HCMC.
