Vietnam, Australia to strengthen ties in COVID-19 fight
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held phone talks with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on April 16 to look into bilateral and regional cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s complex developments.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held phone talks with Australian ForeignMinister Marise Payne on April 16 to look into bilateral and regionalcooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s complex developments.
Deputy PM Minh highlighted Vietnam and ASEAN’sefforts in response to the outbreak, emphasising the importance of regional andinternational cooperation in this regard, including collaboration between ASEANand Australia.
Applauding the two countries’ frequent andeffective contact at all levels amid the pandemic, he asked both sides to continuewith efforts to promote cooperation in all spheres via existing mechanisms soas to sustain the development of the strategic partnership.
For her part, Minister Payne spoke highly ofVietnam’s initiatives and leadership as ASEAN Chair in 2020.
She affirmed that Australia wishes to work moreclosely with Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19 within both bilateral andASEAN-Australia partnership frameworks.
The minister also appreciated the VietnameseGovernment’s effective medical and consular support for Australian citizensaffected by the pandemic, and said her country’s Department of Foreign Affairsand Trade will coordinate with the Department of Education and other relevantagencies to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese students inAustralia.
The two officials agreed to increase the sharingof information on and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, includingthe possibility of cooperating to develop vaccines or produce and trade medicalsupplies.
They also agreed to organise an annual meetingbetween the two foreign ministers, slated for the third quarter of 2020, inAustralia or online to discuss measures to enhance the strategicpartnership.
The meeting would focus on bilateral ties inhealth care, food security, mitigating the outbreak’s socioeconomic impact, and therecovery of trade and tourism and other aspects once the pandemic is over.
Vietnam and Australia will bolster coordinationand mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly UN and ASEAN-ledmechanisms, in terms of regional and international issues of common concern,including the maintenance of peace, stability and security in the East Sea onthe basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law ofthe Sea, according to the two officials./.
Standing Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Tong Thi Phong called at the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Australia on January 12.
Defence Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich hosted a reception in Hanoi on February 18 for Senator Linda Reynolds, Australian Defence Minister, within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat.
Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung on April 6 held phone talks with acting Australian Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the SOM Australia on ASEAN and East Asia Summit (EAS) Justin Hayhurst to discuss joint work via regional cooperation mechanisms amid the complicated developments of COVID-19.
Since the signing of the Vietnam-Cambodia trade and economic cooperation agreement, trade and investment ties have seen remarkable growth, substantially contributing to each country's socio-economic development and facilitating collaboration in various spheres, said Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu.
Representatives of the overseas community and students expressed their gratitude for the Party and State’s support, their delight at growing Vietnam–China ties, and their commitment to preserving the Vietnamese identities abroad.
PM Pham Minh Chinh reiterated Vietnam’s readiness to continue dispatching agricultural experts to support Senegal’s food security through increasingly effective and innovative methods.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man expressed confidence that the legislature will soon apply AI and digital transformation more broadly, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of its legislative, supreme supervision, and decision-making functions on critical national matters.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President and CEO of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende discussed Vietnam’s new development vision and its experience in building an independent, self-reliant and globally-integrated economy, and navigating global instability through proactive diplomacy.
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Interim Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Borge Brende, WEF President and CEO, commended Vietnam’s flexible and effective economic governance and its strong economic performance.
The two PMs agreed on measures to strengthen bilateral relations in the future, especially the prompt signing of an action plan for implementing the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, and the launch of upgraded VSIPs to include hi-tech parks, urban areas, and commercial zones.
PM Chinh requested ERIA to maintain close coordination with Vietnamese agencies and research institutes to promote policy research and consultations, and help the country increase productivity, quality, and competitiveness of the economy, especially in digital transformation, green transition, and circular economy, to contribute to achieving the rapid, sustainable development and double-digit economic growth goals it has set out for the coming decades.
The new Quang Tri province will include 78 commune-level units and features key assets such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a long coastline, historical landmarks, three international border gates, deep-water ports, a modern transport network, and two airports.
The rehearsal took place at the National Military Training Centre No. 4, the Vietnam National University - Hanoi, and the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, involving more than 7,400 officers and soldiers.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on June 25 on the sidelines of the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Tianjin city, China, during which he affirmed Vietnam attaches great importance to its multifaceted cooperation with Ecuador and proposes continued dialogue, negotiation, and signing of cooperation agreements in trade, investment, finance, and agriculture.
A working visit to Toulouse by Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang from June 23–25 has laid important groundwork for expanding multi-sector cooperation between Vietnam and the Occitanie region.
Prof. Dr. Georgy Toloraia, Executive Director of the National Committee for BRICS Research and Director of the Centre for Russian Strategy in Asia at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed his confidence that Vietnam will become a substantial and influential partner of BRICS.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed enhancing economic and trade cooperation, including the development of railway connectivity between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan, which will also strengthen links with Central Asian nations.
The new law abolishes the death penalty for eight criminal offenses: the crime aimed at overthrowing the people’s government; the crime of sabotaging state infrastructure and technical facilities; the crime of producing and trading counterfeit medicines for treatment and prevention; the crime of destroying peace and causing aggressive war; the crime of espionage; that of illegally transporting narcotics; embezzlement; and bribe taking.
Vietnam will continue to coordinate closely with and make positive contributions to the initiatives and collective work of the Group of 77 (G77) developing nations, said Ambassador Do Hung Viet, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VNA) 
