The remarks was made by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung while responding to the media on March 19.

“The Prime Minister’s visits were successful in all aspects. Vietnam upgraded its ties with Australia to a strategic partnership and identified mechanisms for annual exchanges, cooperation and consultations at all levels. Vietnam and New Zealand have mapped out a roadmap for a strategic partnership in the near future," he said.

Dung stressed the importance of the first ASEAN-Australia Special Summit saying the event demonstrates ASEAN’s role in the region. The summit is intended to deepen the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership and show the two sides’ determination to strengthen bilateral cooperation for regional peace and security.

The visits have also laid an important foundation for economic connectivity between Vietnam and the two countries, delivering practical opportunities and interests to their localities and businesses, Dung said.

He spoke highly of the successful organisation of the Vietnam-New Zealand Business Forum and the Vietnam-Australia Business Forum, serving as platforms for their ministries, sectors and enterprises to seek more cooperation opportunities in the areas of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, transport, farm produce trading, supporting industries and service.

Regarding the contributory factors to the success of the visits, Dung highlighted PM Phuc’s role in affirming the Vietnamese Government’s determination to build a constructive, facilitating and action-oriented Government.

Concerning Vietnam’s contributions to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney from March 16-18, Dung said Vietnam closely coordinated with Australia and other ASEAN member countries to work out the event’s agenda. 

At the event, Prime Minister Phuc gave a speech on major orientations for the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership with two priorities given to strengthening economic cooperation and ensuring regional peace and security. 

12 cooperation documents were signed by Vietnamese and New Zealand ministries, agencies, localities, businesses and universities while 22 others were reached in Australia during the PM’s visits, providing more legal frameworks for stronger cooperation in economics, trade, defence, education-training, agriculture and science-technology between Vietnam and the two countries, he noted. 

Source: vov.vn