Vietnamese expats contribute to thriving Vietnam-Australia ties

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In the Joint Statement on Enhancing the Comprehensive Partnership inked in March, 2015, both nations hailed efforts made by Vietnamese expats in Australia and Australian people in Vietnam in developing socio-economy as well as bolstering friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnam and Australia is celebrating 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. Photo: crossed-flag-pins.com

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Sydney on the occasion of 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic relations, PhD Mark Roberts and Nguyen Ba Khuyen, who have kept close watch on the bilateral ties, noted that the diplomatic relations set up on February 26, 1973 formed the basis for the thriving ties.

Both sides reached consensus on aid programmes based on long-term economic cooperation to support Vietnam’s socio-economic development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction as well as enhance trade links. Thus, an array of infrastructure projects have been carried out in Vietnam, including the Australian-funded My Thuan bridge, which is considered a symbol of the bilateral friendship, and the soon-to-be-inaugurated Cao Lanh bridge, which receives 160 million AUD from Australia, the country’s largest sum of aid for a single project in Southeast Asia.

The experts noted that Australia is one of the leading investors in Vietnam and the two nations are enjoying high growth in bilateral trade, adding that there are many reasons to believe that two-way trade and investment ties will be strengthened as Vietnam is working hard to fight corruption and bureaucracy.

Education is an important part in the partnership, they said, adding that there are some 22,000 Vietnamese students pursuing study in Australia and the Australian Government have granted a large number of scholarships to Vietnamese students.

The two countries lifted their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009 and agreed to build a framework to to extend politic relations, promote economic growth and trade development, enhance cooperation in technology and step up ties in defence and security.

Six years later, they inked the Joint Statement on Enhancing the Comprehensive Partnership which laid stress on the win-win relationship on economic growth, stability and regional security.