Vietnam hopes to elevate comprehensive partnership with Australia

Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Truong Thi Mai made the statement at a recent meeting with Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop.

Mai informed the recent developments in the East Sea and expressed her wish that Australia will strengthen coordination with Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and involved parties to ensure security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the waters.

She also called for accelerating the settlement of disputes in the East Sea via peaceful means and on the basis of respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

For her part, Bishop said Vietnam and Australia have become important partners in numerous fields such as defence-security, trade, agriculture, education, people-to-people exchanges while closely working together and striving for the common target of peace and stability in the region.

She noted that the regular exchanges of high-level delegations create a firm foundation for the two countries to reinforce their ties and political trust. She told the guest that she will accompany Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017 in Vietnam in November.

Leaders from Australia’s major parties highly valued Vietnam’s position and role in the region and hoped to enhance relations with the CPV through delegation exchanges, experience sharing and stronger cooperation at multilateral forums, Bishop said.

During her visit to Australia from October 14-17, the Vietnamese official visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney, and representatives from the Vietnamese community in Australia.