Sydney (VNA) – Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh had bilateral meetings with Governorof Victoria State of Australia Linda Marion Dessau and Premier of VictoriaDaniel Andrews in the state on April 24.

The meetings tookplace on the occasion of her trip to attend the Global Summit of Women inAustralia.

The Vice President laudedleaders and people of Victoria state for making outstanding achievements indiverse areas, especially in services and social welfare policies, turningMelbourne into the world’s most liveable city in the recent seven years.

She hailed Melbourneas one of the top financial, trade, cultural, education and sport hubs inAustralia, the region and the world, contributing nearly 10 percent to thecountry’s gross domestic product.

Thinh wished thatleaders of Victoria state will further promote ties with Vietnam, making iteasier for Vietnamese localities to form relationship with the state. She also welcomedlocal firms to do business in Vietnam and asked Victoria leaders to facilitateactivities celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties toraise mutual understanding between the two peoples.

She also urged allpossible support to the Vietnamese community in the state to integrate into thehost community.

The VictoriaGovernor and Premier spoke highly of strong and vibrant development of Vietnam– Australia ties across economy, trade, national defence-security, education,science-technology and tourism since the establishment of bilateral diplomaticties 45 years ago.

The upgrade ofbilateral ties to strategic partnership level during Australia’s visit by PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in March 2018 was an important evidence of their relationship,which was partly contributed by the two countries’ localities, includingVictoria, they said.

Governor Dessau saideducation-training and tourism are strengths of the state. Tens of thousands oflocal people visit Vietnam each year while over 13,000 Vietnamese students arepursuing studies in the state.

She suggestedcooperating in fields of shared interest such as health care and care for theelderly.

Premier Andrews saidtwo-way trade between Vietnam and Victoria hit 1.9 billion USD last year,accounting for nearly one-third of the total between Vietnam and Australia.

He welcomed theupcoming opening of a branch of the Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade ofVietnam (Vietcombank) in Melbourne and vowed to realise a Memorandum ofUnderstanding on cooperation between Victoria and Vietnamese localities,especially in trade, investment, education-training, agriculture, urbandevelopment, environment, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

The hosts committedall possible support for Vietnamese community in the state to contribute to thedevelopment of the two countries and their relations.-VNA