The remark was made by NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan during her meeting with President of the Australia-Vietnam Friendship Society (AVFS) Kim Sampson in Canberra on November 29.
The top legislator, who is on an official visit to Australia, noted with satisfaction the increase of mutual high-ranking visits and meetings, adding that cooperation via all channels, including between their Parties, parliaments, governments and people, has been expanded.
At the recent APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Vietnam’s Da Nang city, Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Malcolm Turnbull agreed to soon lift the Vietnam-Australia relationship to a strategic partnership, she said, expressing her belief that bilateral ties will be reinforced for the sake of the two countries’ people.
She appreciated the AVFS’s practical activities, describing it as a bridge helping to enhance the countries’ sound relations, especially their people’s friendship and mutual understanding.
Vietnam and Australia will mark 45 years of their diplomatic ties in 2018. Therefore, the countries’ friendship associations should coordinate to organise meaningful celebrations, thus contributing to a practical Vietnam-Australia Friendship Year 2018.
As Vietnamese people in Australia is a big community, Chairwoman Ngan asked the President and members of the AVFS assist Vietnamese people in integrating into the local society and contribute to the two countries’ relations.
For his part, AVFS President Sampson said the number of AVFS members has been on the rise since the association was set up four decades ago.
He said AVFS members are looking forward to the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties. The association will join the Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia to promote people-to-people exchanges.
Earlier on November 29, the Vietnamese leader had attended a hearing of the Australian Senate.
