The significance of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn's visit to Vietnam.

Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and her husband. (Source: VNA)

At the invitation of President Luong Cuong and his wife, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn and her husband will pay a State visit to Vietnam from September 9-12.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam granted an interview to Vietnamese journalists in Australia about this significant event.

- How does the Ambassador assess the significance of the visit of the Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn, to Vietnam, which takes place more than a year after the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and amidst Vietnam's jubilant celebrations of its 80th National Day?

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: At the invitation of President Luong Cuong, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn will make a state visit to Vietnam immediately after the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day.

The visit is of great significance, helping to affirm the determination of both countries to continuously strengthen friendly relations and cooperation in all fields, especially political cooperation, after more than a year and a half of establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

For Australia, the visit demonstrates a consistent policy of valuing and giving high priority to developing relations with Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

For Vietnam, welcoming the Governor-General of Australia contributes to the implementation of the Party and State's foreign policy of valuing relations with countries in the South Pacific region, especially Australia, a country with an important role in the region, which was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and currently has a very effective and positive cooperative relationship with us.

- What are the key activities that the Australian Governor-General is expected to undertake during the visit? What are the Ambassador's expectations regarding the outcome and momentum of the visit for bilateral relations?

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: Within the framework of the State visit to Vietnam, the Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn, is expected to lay a wreath at the Monument to the Heroes and Martyrs, visit the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh, hold talks with President Luong Cuong, greet senior leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam, 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 scheduled to visit Ho Chi Minh City, greet city leaders, meet with the Australian community in Vietnam, and visit several cultural and historical sites.

Notably, during this second stop, the Governor-General will likely meet with officers and soldiers of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force, demonstrating her interest in a key area of the highly effective defense cooperation between the two countries.

The visit will undoubtedly contribute to further strengthening and enhancing strategic trust between the two countries, and contribute to peace, stability, and development in the region.

Along with that, understanding and friendship between the two countries will continue to be strengthened.

Given the Governor General's friendly and open personality, stories and images from her trip to Vietnam are likely to be widely shared with the Australian public, helping to bring our beautiful country closer to the Australian people.

On the morning of September 13, 2024, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, along with several representatives of the Vietnamese National Assembly delegation, paid a courtesy visit to the Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn. (Photo: Thanh Tu/VNA)

Ambassador, how has the vitality of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership permeated Vietnam-Australia relations over the past year?

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: Since establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024, cooperation between the two countries across six key areas has developed strongly and comprehensively. In October 2024, the two countries signed an Action Program to implement this partnership for the period 2024-2027.

To date, the two sides have jointly completed or are on schedule 96% of the 180 action items in this action program, a truly commendable achievement.

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

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

- It is known that during the meeting with the Ambassador last July, the Governor-General of Australia, Sam Mostyn, expressed his admiration for images of Vietnam and its people, and was particularly delighted with the video clip "Bac Bling." It is clear that culture and people are always the invisible threads connecting the friendship between Vietnam and Australia. According to the Ambassador, what should the two countries do to make that thread even stronger and more enduring?

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: During my meeting with the Governor-General in July 2025, I had the opportunity to share the video clip "North 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 our next meeting in August 2025, I discussed with the Governor General the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia to bilateral relations, as well as to Australia's development. This is a large community of approximately 350,000 people, and notably, Vietnamese is among the top four most widely spoken languages in Australia (after English, Chinese, and Arabic).

Thus, similarities in perspectives and appreciation of traditional cultural values, as well as the large Vietnamese community in Australia, can act as an invisible thread to strengthen friendship between the two countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam. (Source: VNA)

To further strengthen this bond, I believe the most important thing is to effectively implement the direction agreed upon by the two governments in enhancing people-to-people exchanges, thereby strengthening understanding and ties between the people of the two countries.

This can be achieved by facilitating and promoting greater cooperation between ministries, departments, 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 opportunities for Vietnamese students to study in Australia, both sides also need to coordinate the effective implementation of the new Colombo Plan, bringing Australian students to Vietnam for exchange and experience.

- What aspect of this Pacific nation impressed you the most, Ambassador?

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam: It can be said that Australia has built one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world, with an extremely diverse population originating from approximately 300 different ethnic groups.

Therefore, when visiting major cities in Australia, the first impression tourists get is the diversity and richness of culture, ethnicity, religion, and even cuisine and clothing.

In addition to sharing this general sentiment, I am also very impressed by the way the current Australian government shows respect for Australia's Indigenous people.

You can easily see this when you witness the Indigenous flag being proudly displayed alongside the Australian national flag at government buildings, through the "smoke burning" ceremony, or through the expressions of recognition of the traditional role of Indigenous peoples often found in opening speeches at important events throughout the country.

- Thank you very much, Ambassador.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/y-nghia-chuyen-tham-viet-nam-cua-toan-quyen-australia-sam-mostyn-post1060229.vnp