Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh on November 7 hosted a reception for Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner who is visiting Vietnam during November 6-9.
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| Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh (right) receives Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner on November 7__Photo: VNA |
At the meeting, both sides expressed their delight over the achievements in the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership especially in the realms of politics, defense, trade, education, and agriculture.
By the end of this year’s third quarter, two-way trade had reached USD 5.72 billion, up 20 percent from the same period in 2017. In addition, the two countries had made concerned efforts to promote relations between their localities, they said, particularly ties between the Northern Territory and HCM City, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau as noteworthy.
Deputy PM Minh said Vietnam and Australia’s Northern Territory hold huge potential to boost cooperation in marine and air transportation, as well as tourism.
Stressing Vietnam’s interest in developing high-tech agriculture, human resources training, and science-technology, Minh hoped that leaders of the Northern Territory would grant further scholarships to Vietnamese students through the Northern Territory Government’s “Study in Australia’s Northern Territory” (StudyNT) program.
He also hoped the Northern Territory would expand its favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese living and working in the locality.
Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory always attached importance to strengthening bonds with Vietnam and that it stood ready to bolster cooperation in trade, investment, and education, while also considering collaboration in transport and tourism with the Southeast Asian country.
The Northern Territory would facilitate conditions for low-cost carrier Vietjet Air to open an air route to the city of Darwin next year, he said, adding that Vietnamese corporations, including Vingroup and TH True Milk, were welcome to land investments in the territory, particularly in the fields of its strength like husbandry, plantation, and tourism.
Deputy PM Minh and Mr Gunner witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Northern Territory’s Chamber of Commerce.
During his stay, there will be working sessions with Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha, Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, as well as Vietnamese businesses operating in trade, agriculture, education, and transport.- (VNS/VLLF)
