Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: Continuously strengthening and invigorating the Vietnam-Australia relationship

Đại sứ Phạm Hùng Tâm: Không ngừng củng cố, thổi sinh lực cho quan hệ Việt Nam-Australia

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam met with Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn at a working session on August 15 at the Australian Governor-General's Palace. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Australia)

On the occasion of the State visit of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and his spouse to Vietnam from September 9-12, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam shared with The Gioi va Viet Nam Newspaper about the significance of the visit as well as the comprehensive and strong cooperation between the two countries in all fields.

How does the Ambassador assess the significance of the State visit to Vietnam by Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, which took place 1.5 years after the two countries upgraded their relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and in the jubilant atmosphere of Vietnam's 80th National Day celebration?

At the invitation of President Luong Cuong, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn and his spouse will make a State visit to Vietnam right after the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day.

The visit is of great significance, helping to affirm the determination of both countries in continuously strengthening friendship and cooperation in all fields, especially political cooperation, after more than 1.5 years of establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

For Australia, the visit demonstrates Australia's consistent policy of valuing and giving high priority to developing relations with the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam.

For us, welcoming the Australian Governor-General to visit Vietnam contributes to implementing the foreign policy of our Party and State that values relations with countries in the South Pacific region, especially Australia - a country with an important role in the region, formerly the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and currently having a very effective and positive cooperative relationship with us.

What are the expected highlights of the Australian Governor-General's visit? What are the Ambassador's expectations for the results and momentum of the visit for bilateral relations?

During his State visit to Vietnam, Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn is expected to lay a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, hold talks with President Luong Cuong, greet senior leaders of the Party and State, meet with leaders of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, attend the Vietnam-Australia Forum 2025 and inaugurate the Australia-Vietnam Policy Institute.

The Governor-General is also expected to visit Ho Chi Minh City, greet the City’s leaders, meet the Australian community in Vietnam and visit a number of cultural and historical sites. Notably, during this second stop, the Governor-General is likely to meet with our peacekeeping officers and soldiers, demonstrating her interest in a key area of the defense cooperation that is being implemented very effectively between the two countries.

The visit will certainly contribute to continuously consolidating and enhancing strategic trust between the two countries, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region. At the same time, understanding and friendship between the two countries will continue to be fostered.

With the Governor-General's friendly and open personality, the stories and images from her journey in Vietnam will likely be widely shared with the Australian public, helping our beautiful country become closer and closer to the Australian people.

The 7th Vietnam-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM 7), August 20, 2025, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

How has the vitality of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership been spreading deeply into the Vietnam-Australia relationship over the past year, Ambassador?

Since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024, cooperation between the two countries in six pillar areas has developed strongly and comprehensively.

In October 2024, the two countries signed an Action Plan to implement this partnership for the period 2024-2027. To date, the two sides have coordinated to complete or implement on schedule 96% of the total 180 action lines of this Action Plan, a very proud result.

In particular, the two sides held their first Ministerial-level Security Dialogue, continuing to effectively implement the partnership in the field of UN peacekeeping. Bilateral trade is becoming increasingly balanced and the number of Australian tourists visiting Vietnam is increasing, reaching nearly half a million in 2024.

It can be said that upgrading the relationship to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership not only demonstrates increased strategic trust between the two countries, but also helps create a new vitality for the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Australia.

It is known that at the reception of the Ambassador last July, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn expressed his impression when seeing images of the country and people of Vietnam and was especially interested in the video clip "Bac Bling". It can be seen that the cultural and human factors are always the invisible thread connecting the friendship between Vietnam and Australia. According to the Ambassador, what should the two countries do to make that thread stronger and more solid?

During my meeting with the Governor General in July 2025, I had the opportunity to share the video clip “Bac Bling” and discuss the similarities in the efforts of artists from both countries to “renew” and make traditional cultural values more accessible to the public.

During the next meeting in August 2025, I discussed with the Governor-General the contribution of the Vietnamese community in Australia to the relationship between the two countries, as well as to the development of Australia. This is a large community of about 350,000 people and what is special is that in Australia, Vietnamese is among the 4 most widely used languages (after English, Chinese and Arabic).

Thus, the similarity in the way of perceiving and appreciating traditional cultural values, as well as the large Vietnamese community in Australia, can act as an invisible thread to help strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

To contribute to strengthening this bond, I believe that the most important thing is to effectively implement the direction that the two governments have agreed on in enhancing people-to-people exchanges, thereby helping to enhance understanding and solidarity between the people of the two countries. This can be done by creating conditions to promote more cooperation between ministries, branches, localities and businesses of the two countries in the fields of culture, tourism, sports, education and training, etc.

For the younger generation, in addition to creating more favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in Australia, the two sides also need to coordinate effectively to implement the New Colombo Program, bringing Australian students to exchange and experience in Vietnam.

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam and Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn at the Vietnam House in Canberra, July 21. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Australia)

What about this Pacific nation impressed the Ambassador the most?

It can be said that Australia has built the most successful multicultural society in the world, with a very diverse population originating from about 300 different ethnic groups. Therefore, when visiting major cities in Australia, the first impression that visitors feel is the diversity and richness of culture, ethnicity, religion, and even cuisine and clothing.

In addition to sharing this general sentiment, I am also impressed by the way the current Australian government shows respect for Australia’s Indigenous people. This can be seen in the display of the Indigenous flag alongside the Australian flag at government buildings, in the smoking ceremony, or in the recognition of the traditional role of Indigenous people that is often included in opening speeches at important events across the country.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!