Prime Minister: Promoting the core role of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia

According to the special correspondent of VNA, during his official visit to Australia, on the morning of March 9 (local time), in Canberra, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a working session with leaders and members of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs Association in Australia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with the Vietnam Business Association in Australia. Photo: VNA

Also attending the meeting were Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister and Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son and leaders of ministries and branches participating in the working delegation.

The Vietnamese Business Association in Australia was established in early 2010 and now has about 500 members, including about 100 domestic members.

The Association has actively supported Vietnamese enterprises exporting to Australia; promptly reflected the development situation of the homeland and country; promoted trade, displayed, introduced, and brought Vietnamese goods to Australian supermarkets.

At the meeting, Mr. Tran Ba Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia and members expressed their joy that the country's position has been raised to new heights and that during the Prime Minister's visit, Vietnam and Australia have upgraded diplomatic relations to the highest level.

This is also a favorable condition for Vietnamese enterprises to do business in Australia, promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

Delegates were delighted with the attention of Party and State leaders, including the Politburo's issuance of Resolution 36 on work with overseas Vietnamese, which is of great significance.

Recently, for the first time, overseas Vietnamese were invited to contribute their opinions to the draft Land Law. Many opinions at the meeting also affirmed that the overseas Vietnamese community was very excited when the newly passed Land Law had many new contents, suitable for the actual situation.

Believing that the potential and opportunities are huge after Vietnam and Australia upgraded their relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the delegates made a number of proposals and recommendations related to visa policies, exchange rates, tariffs, domestic and international information connections, etc. to continue to accompany and contribute to national development, especially in implementing the green transformation goal, developing renewable energy, promoting innovative startups, the operation of the National Innovation Center, attracting foreign investment, promoting intellectual resources from those studying in Australia, attracting tourists from Australia to visit Vietnam, sending Vietnamese people to Australia to work, promoting the export of Vietnamese agricultural products and goods to Australia, etc.

After the ministers and members of the working delegation responded to the proposals, recommendations and statements at the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and highly appreciated the opinions at the meeting, with the aim of contributing to concretizing the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries that has just been established; highly appreciated the recent achievements of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs Association in Australia in business activities, contributing to the economic development of the two countries, and helping to connect Vietnamese businesses in Australia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said one of the deepest impressions during the visit was that Australian leaders all highly appreciated the role of Vietnamese people in Australia.

During the discussion, the Prime Minister asked the Australian side to consider recognizing the 350,000 Vietnamese community in Australia as an ethnic minority of Australia and the Australian side highly appreciated this initiative.

Economic, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Australia are developing well. Bilateral trade turnover in 2023 reached nearly 14 billion USD, the two countries have become one of each other's top 10 trade partners.

The leaders of the two countries have approved the Vietnam - Australia Economic Engagement Enhancement Strategy (EEES), which is a solid foundation for Australian businesses in general and the Vietnamese business community in Australia in particular to continue to promote cooperation with Vietnamese businesses.

Notably, during the visit, the two countries upgraded their relationship to the highest level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with 6 points more than the previous framework, including more comprehensive, inclusive, substantive and effective economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia and the Vietnamese business and entrepreneur community in Australia promote their achievements and make the most of opportunities from the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework between the two countries to further develop economic links and cooperation.

The Prime Minister hoped that the association would continue to promote its core role in connecting and encouraging Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs in Australia, promoting trade and investment cooperation between businesses of the two countries; at the same time, connecting with Vietnamese business associations in the country and in other countries, especially in the US, Japan, Europe, etc.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia. Photo: VNA

The Head of Government requested the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia and businesses and entrepreneurs to increase support for the community, especially the disadvantaged and newcomers to Australia; persistently and actively urge the Australian side to consider and recognize the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority; promote the preservation and learning of the Vietnamese language, the preservation, promotion and dissemination of Vietnamese culture; and promote cultural exchanges and tourism.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also asked the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in Australia and the Vietnamese business community in Australia to continue to promote cooperation and investment in areas that Vietnam is prioritizing such as green economy, digital economy, exploitation and deep processing of essential minerals, labor cooperation, education and training, etc.

Regarding the proposals and recommendations, the leaders of ministries and branches responded, the Prime Minister affirmed to always protect the legitimate and legal rights and interests of enterprises on the basis of the law, with the motto "harmonized benefits, shared risks".

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hopes and believes that the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, the Vietnamese business community and entrepreneurs in Australia in particular and around the world in general will develop strongly and make practical contributions to building and developing a strong Vietnamese community with an increasingly important role and position, contributing to building and developing the locality, promoting bilateral relations and contributing to building the beloved country of Vietnam.

According to VNA/Vietnam+

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