Vietnam-Australia: 35 Years of Friendship

Milestones in Vietnam-Australia Diplomatic Relations

On February 26, 1973, Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic ties and embassies opened in each country. Ever-since two countries have increasingly promoted their cooperation in all fields: diplomatic, economic, trade, investment, education, etc.

The two sides have since then held many high-level meetings and discussions. Many high-ranking visits have been made by two since. Vietnam’s visits to Australia included former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in May, 1993; former General Secretary Do Muoi in 1995; National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh in March 1998; former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in 1999 and in 2005; vice State President Truong My Hoa in 2006; former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cam in 1995, 1997 and in 2000; State President Nguyen Minh Triet and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem attended APEC Summit in October 2007; Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan from February 23 – 27, 2008; National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong from March 9 – 15, 2008; Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong from May 3-12, 2008…and many other visits have been made by many high-ranking officials and missions.

 

Since 1994, Australia has paid many high-class visits to Vietnam including visit by Prime Minister Paul Keating in April 1994; Former Governor-General Bill Hayden in April 1995; Prime Minister John Howard in November, 2006 on the occasion of the APEC Summit; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Tom Fisher in August 1996; Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer in July 1996, July 1997, April 1998, May 2000, July 2001, July 2003.  In addition, leaders of States of Queensland, New South Wales, Nam Australia and Victoria have paid official visits to Vietnam. Many Australian cities were twinned with Vietnamese ones such as North Australia was twinned with southern Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, Queensland with HCM City and Danang.

 

One of important milestones in the two countries’ diplomatic ties is the recent visits to Australia by State President Nguyen Minh Triet and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong. In September 2007, at the meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard on the occasion of APEC 2007 Events in Sydney, State President Nguyen Minh Triet expressed his satisfaction with closer cooperation and development in the two nations’ friendship relationship, especially in fields of trade, investment, education, tourism. On the occasion, State President Nguyen Minh Triet thanked the Government of Australia for offering official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam; creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese community in Australia.

 

The two sides agreed that in the integration of the global and regional economy, Vietnam and Australia enjoy more good chances to further develop friendship relations. In the upcoming time, the two sides should pay more attention to boost cooperation in cultural and labour cooperation beside traditional fields. Vietnam boasts big potential to develop human resources, while Australia is now in need of more labourers.

 

Prime Minister John Howard thanked Vietnam for sharing experience with Australia in organising of 15^th APEC Summit. He also emphasised that Australia always attaches importance to development of multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam, affirming that the Government of Australia will encourage its investors to pour investments in the communist country.

 

PM John Howard praised the Vietnamese Community in Australia for great contributions to development of its social-economic and political situation. He also affirmed that Vietnamese Overseas is an important part helping boost relations between the nations.

 

In March 2008, at the invitation of Heads of Australia House of Representatives and House of Lords, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong accompanied by high-ranking officials of Vietnam NA paid an official visit to Australia. 35 years ago, Kevin Ruder, leader of the Labour Party – the ruling party of Australia signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam, making Trong’s visit more significant. The Vietnamese delegation received warmly welcome from Australia People and leaders. Australians know Vietnam through official visits, or through media news. Most of them said that Vietnam is the country of heroes, renewal, integration and development”. 

 

Four things that NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong stated at the Vietnam-Australia Business Forum in his visit to Australia in March 2008 would lure more Australian investors to Vietnam. The things are Vietnam is a country of political stability and social order; Vietnam’s economic growth rate is very stable with young labour force. Vietnam is an emerging country in the global integration which receives highlights from international friends; Vietnam is in the process of administrative reforms to facilitate investors. 

 

Talking about Vietnam-Australia relations, Vietnamese Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Thanh Tan said: “In 2007, State President Nguyen Minh Triet took part in APEC Summit in Australia and this year NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong paid an official visit to Australia. These are important milestones in the 35 years of the Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties, Tan said. With foreign affair policies, Vietnam and Australia will gain more cooperative achievements in years to come,” he noted.

 

Multi-faceted cooperation
Over the past years, Vietnam-Australia friendship has been ceaselessly fostered and strengthened in all fields. For trade, Australia is the seventh biggest partner and the fourth biggest export market of Vietnam. Vietnam-Australia’s two-way annual trade value has seen continual sharp increases, from US$32.3 million in 1990 to US$4.6 billion in 2007 (of the value, Vietnam’s exports to Australia hit US$3.55 billion and Vietnam’s imports from Australia hit US$1.05 billion), up over 10 per cent against 2006. In the first 7 months of this year, two-way trade value reached almost US$3.67 billion (Vietnam’s exports to Australia hit US$2.68 billion), up 75.4 per cent over the same period last year. Particularly, at the ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand Economic Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore on August 28, Australia informed Vietnam of its principled recognition of the Vietnamese market economy.

 

By May 2008, Australia is one of the most effective investors in Vietnam with 174 projects, worth US$1.01 billion. Australia is ranked 17th among 81 countries and territories that invest in Vietnam. Of the total capital, around US$500 million has been disbursed. The Australian investments focus on industry, construction, service, agriculture, forestry, fishery, education and training… in big localities of Vietnam such as HCM City, Hanoi, Ba Ria – Vung Tau. The projects are mostly in 100 per cent foreign-invested or joint ventures. Most Australian investors operate well in Vietnam. Some have gain profits such as Fosters Beer, Vinausteel, ANZ (which wants to open more offices in HCM City), Melbourne (RMIT)… BHP Billiton and Alcoa are seeking permission from the local government to pour nearly US$2 billion into two projects to explore bauxite in central Highland Dak Nong province (at the 2007 meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government allowed Vinacomin to build two bauxite exploitation complexes in Central Highlands and invite foreign investors, including those from Australia to the complexes). The two sides have also inked an agreement on transport cooperation which allows increasing weekly flights from Vietnam to Australia. Australia has continued to increase its official development assistance to Vietnam to US$90.8 million, up US$9.5 million compared to last year. Vietnam remains one of the four countries to receive the largest ODA from Australia, only behind Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon. Regarding airline cooperation, in 2007, the two countries’ airlines carried around 250,000 tourist arrivals, up 42 per cent over 2006. Jetstar Asia Away under the Qantas Corp. signed a cooperative pact with Pacific Airlines of Vietnam to set up first low-cost airline in Vietnam named Jetstar Pacific. Jetstar Pacific was officially put into operation on May 25, 2008. By July, 2007, Qantas has owned 18 per cent of Pacific Airlines’ stake and expects to raise the stake in Pacific Airlines to 30 per cent in 2008.

 

Notably, cooperation in training is a particularly strong point in the relationship between the two countries. Currently, more than 9,700 Vietnamese students are studying in Australia and more than 8,000 Vietnamese students studying at Australian education centres in Vietnam such as RMIT, Queensland University. Vietnam ranks fifth among countries to receive most Australia Official Development Assistance with approximately US$100 million for the 2008-2009 period. Currently, almost 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Australia. In the upcoming time, Vietnam and Australia will further boost cooperation in fields of police, healthcare anti-terrorism fight…

Vietnam-Australia friendship has ceaselessly fostered and developed for the common sake of peace and wealth. This is the achievement of the 35^th establishment of the two nations’ diplomatic ties.