Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Van Khai flies to Australia today to start his official trip to the country from May 4-7, and then to New Zealand from May 7-11.
Khai went to Australia in 1999, but this is his first tour to New Zealand.
Khai's visit aims to bolster and further expand Vietnam's multi-faceted cooperation with Australia and New Zealand.
The relationship between Vietnam and Australia has been promoted in a number of fields, especially trade, since they established diplomat relations in 1973.
At present, Australia is the seventh biggest trade partner of Vietnam. Their two-way trade increased to US$2.27 billion last year from US$1.7 billion in 2003 and US$32 million in 1990.
Vietnam sells Australia crude oil, petroleum products, vegetables and fruits, foodstuff, rice, coffee, seafood, furniture, garment and textiles, computers and their spare parts and purchases cereals, medicines, aluminum, vessels, metals, oil and petrol, apparel, chemicals and pesticides.
Australia ranks the fourth among Vietnam's largest importers, following the US, Japan and China.
By late 2004, Australia had invested US$646 million in 106 projects in Vietnam, ranking 16th among foreign investors in the country. Australian businessmen have poured capital into 21 cities and provinces in the Southeast Asian country.
With total funding of US$350 million between 1991 and 2003, Australia is also one of Vietnam's largest donors.
The foreign country pledged AUD73.7 million (US$51 million) to Vietnam in the 2004-2005 fiscal period, a rise from AUD72.1 million in the 2003-2004 period. The projects have helped Vietnam reduce hunger and poverty and realize socio-economic targets.
The Australian Government funds 150 scholarships to Vietnamese students annually. To date, more than 4,000 Vietnamese people are studying in Australia. Some 245,000 Vietnamese are living in the foreign country.
The number of Australian tourists to Vietnam has increased by 34 per cent per annum since 2000. The year 2004 alone witnessed 128,000 Australian arrivals to the Southeast Asian country.
Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on September 16, 1975. New Zealand opened its embassy in Hanoi in 1995 and Vietnam opened an embassy in Wellington in 2003.
The People, Youth
Vietnamese
