50 Years of Vietnam – Australia Ties: Opportunity to Start New Cooperation Journey

Art performance at the ceremony. Source: hcmcpv.org.vn

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on February 24 to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam – Australia diplomatic relations (February 26, 1973 – 2023), VNA reported.

In his remarks, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said the two countries have obtained numerous achievements in their relations, from politics, investment, trade to education, development cooperation, and security – defence.

Economic cooperation is one of the highlights. Last year, Australia was the seventh largest trading partner of Vietnam, with bilateral trade topping USD 15.6 billion. Australia ranked 20th among 141 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation, with 583 projects worth nearly USD 2 billion. Many big enterprises of Vietnam such as Hoa Phat, Sovico, and VCB are also operating in Australia.

On that basis, trade and investment links between HCM City and Australia are also thriving, he went on, elaborating that annual bilateral trade has surpassed USD 1.2 billion, and Australia now has 274 investment projects worth over 200 million USD in the southern metropolis.

HCM City also has dynamic relations in trade, education – training, innovation, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange with such Australian states as Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.

Expressing his gratitude to generations of the two countries’ leaders and people for their unceasing efforts to build up the bilateral ties, Mai expressed his belief that the dynamic growth of HCM City – Australia relations will greatly contribute to the sustainable development of the relationship between the two nations.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski speaks at the event. Source: hcmcpv.org.vn

Addressing the event, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that after five decades, the two countries have built a special friendship and partnership on the basis of mutual trust, paving the way for the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2018 and the commitment to upgrade the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the future.

As a trade and economic centre and a hub for people-to-people links, HCM City plays a critically important role in the Australia – Vietnam relations. About 75% of Australia’s investment in Vietnam is poured into the southern region, concentrating in HCM City and nearby provinces.

The city has also recorded positive results in education cooperation, as seen in the presence of RMIT University and Western Sydney University, according to the diplomat.

The ambassador said he believed that with the strong connections between the two countries’ citizens and the two governments, the bilateral relations will develop even more to obtain numerous achievements in different fields such as innovation, climate change response, education – training, and defence – security. At the same time, HCM City will maintain its core role in the enhancement of those ties.

Previous, the Australian Consulate General in HCM City on February 23 held an art programme themed “Come Together.”

The performance conveys a meaningful message about the beauty of culture, history and people of the two nations, according to Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc.

“It helps strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples, contributing to tightening and promoting the bilateral relations.”

Duc also expressed his hope that the Vietnam – Australia strategic partnership in general and the relations between HCM City and Austrian localities in particular will be further expanded for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world.

Australian Army Band and Vietnamese Military Musicians jointly perform. Source: Australian embassy in Vietnam

In Hanoi, the Australian Army Band and Vietnam’s Military University of Culture and Art held a first Defence music exchange this week.

50th anniversary celebrations began with a musical bang in Hanoi. Talented military musicians belted out some Aussie pub rock classics and jointly performed a traditional Vietnamese marching song.