NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. (Photo: Le Tuyet)

Both sides praised the fine development of bilateral ties over the years, particularly since the two nations established a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009 and an Enhanced Comprehensive Partnership in 2015. They said progress has been made in economics, trade, education, and people-to-people exchange.

Madam Ngan called on both sides to work more closely to clarify the Economic Partnership mechanism on which to base cooperative plans in investment, trade, and ODA for the next 3 to 5 years. She asked both sides to continue the consultation mechanism for backing each other at regional forums, especially the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

Madam Ngan praised the Australian Government for promoting its New Colombo Plan to consolidate connectivity with Asia. She noted that Vietnam will receive more Australian students and on-the-job trainees. The chairwoman encouraged Australia to provide more scholarships and boost education cooperation with Vietnam in various forms: affiliating education facilities for joint training programs, recognizing each other’s training qualifications and certificates, and supporting Vietnam in vocational training, English, and international law, especially the Law of the Sea.

President of the House of Representatives Tony Smith said Australia will continue to implement the New Colombo Plan under which Australia and Vietnam will exchange students.

Vietnam and Australia agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and free maritime navigation and aviation in the region, and resolving disputes via peaceful solutions based on international law.

Leaders of the two legislative bodies said that in the future they will continue to exchange high-ranking delegations and delegations of NA committees and agencies, strengthen oversight of agreement implementation, and support their activities of the Friendship Parliamentarian Groups.