(VOVWORLD) - National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue began an official visit to Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday, his first official visits to Australia and New Zealand as head of the Vietnamese National Assembly. The visits are expected to strengthen friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and its two key partners in the south Pacific region and cooperation between their legislative bodies.
 National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue pays official visits to Australia and New Zealand from November 11 to December 7, 2022. (photo: quochoi.vn) |
Chairman Hue’s visits take place with relations between Vietnam and Australia and New Zealand developing smoothly and effectively even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries attach great importance to Vietnam’s role and position. Australia has had a new parliamentary leadership since July and New Zealand has had a new parliamentary leadership since August.
Vietnamese National Assembly and Australian parliament develop good relations
Australia is a strategic partner of Vietnam in the south Pacific region. The two countries are cooperating effectively in all fields and maintaining regular delegation exchanges and high-level contacts. Bilateral cooperation mechanisms are being flexibly deployed both face-to-face and online. The Action Program with Australia for the 2020-2023 period has been effectively implemented and has achieved visible results.
Vietnam and Australia will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2023. At many meetings Australia has expressed its wish to elevate bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The relationship between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Australian Parliament has developed well, contributing to the overall relationship of the two countries.
The 15th National Assembly of Vietnam established the Vietnam-Australia Friendship Parliamentary Group on October 4, 2022. The Australian Parliament has a 57-member Friendship Parliamentary Group with Vietnam, one of the largest friendship groups in the Australian Parliament, showing that Australian parliamentarians are interested in promoting relations with Vietnam.
President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines told VOV: "I think as the President, one of the important elements for me is the bilateral exchanges between the Parliaments. That’s really important. The Vietnam Friendship Group is one of the largest we have in the Parliament. President Hue’s visit is an opportunity for us to discuss different ways that Australia and Vietnam can work together through our Parliaments and parties on the shared challenges that we face."
From 2019 to 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exchange of high-level delegations between the Friendship Parliamentary Groups of the two countries was interrupted. But both sides held phone talks on legislative work and coordination between ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises on the implementation of bilateral agreements.
At inter-parliamentary forums, the two legislative delegations have worked closely on regional and global issues of mutual concern.
Promoting the Vietnam-New Zealand Strategic Partnership
New Zealand is a Strategic Partner of Vietnam in the south Pacific region. Bilateral cooperation is developing strongly in many fields. High-level delegation exchanges are maintained, with the most recent visit to Vietnam by the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
New Zealand is currently Vietnam’s 36th largest trading partner. Two-way trade turnover has grown strongly despite the pandemic. Cooperation in security, defense, education, training, labor, and agriculture has developed well and has great potential. The two countries have eyed cooperation in a number of new areas such as climate change response, digital transformation, and energy transformation.
New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Tredene Dobson said: "We know that Prime Minister Chinh made some really impressive commitments at COP26. Many countries and New Zealand have been looking at how we can support Vietnam in reaching those commitments. Coming to agriculture, Vietnam and New Zealand have really similar interests in many areas."
The Ambassador said that New Zealand and Vietnam will talk about some new areas for collaboration, which are particular important for New Zealand and Vietnam, such as methan emission.
The parliaments of Vietnam and New Zealand have worked closely at regional and global forums on issues of mutual interest.
NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s official visits to Australia and New Zealand will tighten the friendship and strategic partnership with two key partners in the south Pacific region who are also two important partners of ASEAN.