Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with the Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with the Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his pleasure at meeting the Governor-General and his wife again after their state visit to Vietnam in April 2023; and expressed his gratitude for the warm and respectful welcome extended by the Australian people, the Governor-General and his wife personally, to the Prime Minister, his wife, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh respectfully conveyed to the Governor-General the greetings of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and key leaders of Vietnam; and congratulated Australia on successfully hosting the Special Summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia relations.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for Australia's valuable support to Vietnam, both past and present, notably the construction of the My Thuan and Cao Lan bridges in the Mekong Delta, assistance in transporting field hospitals to South Sudan to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping force, and the training of high-quality human resources for Vietnam.

Governor-General David Hurley reiterated his positive impressions of his visit to Vietnam, including planting a commemorative tree with President Vo Van Thuong at the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department in Thach That; and expressed his desire to return to Vietnam soon.

The Governor-General stated that he had heard Prime Minister Anthony Albanese report on the positive outcomes of the Special Summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia relations, including the active contribution of the Vietnamese delegation; he also assessed that the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 by the Australian Government's Special Envoy for Southeast Asia contains many important cooperation contents, which serve as a basis for Australia to build stronger relations with ASEAN countries.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of bilateral relations after more than half a century of establishing diplomatic ties, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders also highly appreciated the upgrading of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on this occasion, considering it an important milestone for further deepening and strengthening Vietnam-Australia relations, bringing practical benefits to the people of both countries and making a positive contribution to peace and stability in the region and the world.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that Australia create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, work, and study in Australia; maintain the Vietnamese language and Vietnamese traditions and culture; facilitate procedures for Vietnamese students; and welcomed Australian citizens to study, work, do business, and invest in Vietnam.

The Governor-General of Australia requested that Vietnam continue to facilitate the establishment of training facilities in Vietnam by major Australian universities. Following the meeting, the Governor-General personally drove the Prime Minister and his wife in an electric vehicle to tour the Governor-General's residence.

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