The 19th Vietnam-Australia Consular Consultation: Enhancing trust and delivering substantive results

On October 21, in Canberra (Australia), the 19th Consular Consultation Meeting between Vietnam and Australia took place, allowing the consular agencies of the two sides to have a frank, substantive and specific exchange on issues arising in consular work; and to share and exchange experiences in handling professional work.

The 19th Consular Consultation Meeting between Vietnam and Australia. (Photo: Bao Chi)

The meeting was co-chaired by Doan Hoang Minh, Director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, and Elizabeth McGregor, Director of the Consular and Crisis Management Department of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Also attending the meeting were representatives of relevant units and diplomatic and consular representative agencies of each side.

The meeting took place in the context of the good development of relations between Vietnam and Australia in many fields. Both sides agreed that consular cooperation is one of the bright spots in bilateral relations.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the results of the implementation of the tasks set out at the 18th Consular Consultation; discussed the protection of Vietnamese citizens in Australia and Australian citizens in Vietnam; facilitated the entry and exit of citizens of the two countries into each other's territories; and discussed the removal of obstacles in consular work.

The two sides agreed that the Consular Consultation Meeting Mechanism is an effective mechanism, allowing the agencies in charge of consular affairs to have frank, substantive and specific discussions on issues arising in consular work; and to share and exchange experiences in handling professional work.

On the sidelines of the Consular Consultation meeting, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade arranged for the Vietnamese delegation to visit the Australian Passport Office in Canberra and learn from Australia's experience in implementing the Hague Convention on the Exemption from Legalization of Public Documents.

The Vietnam-Australia Consular Consultation is a bilateral dialogue mechanism between the agencies under the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs in charge of consular work, established in 2004 and held periodically, alternately in Vietnam and Australia. It is expected that the 20th Vietnam-Australia Consular Consultation meeting will be held in Vietnam.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tu-van-lanh-su-viet-nam-australia-lan-thu-19-tang-cuong-tin-cay-va-mang-lai-ket-qua-thuc-chat-332525.html