Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc shakes hands with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne at a reception in Hanoi on June 13, 2019 (Photo: chinhphu.vn)

At a reception for Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Hanoi on Thursday, PM Phuc called on both sides to make full use of existing bilateral cooperative mechanisms, especially the annual ministerial-level  mechanism. He said both sides need to increase trade and investment to match their Strategic Partnership by reducing and removing trade barriers. It’s necessary to boost cooperation in other important fields like education and training, culture, tourism, sports, and people-to-people exchange.

Mr. Phuc praised the role of Ms. Payne as Foreign Minister and her previous post as Defense Minister in strengthening Vietnam-Australia ties. He welcomed her for choosing Vietnam as the first country to visit in the second week of her new term in office.

Foreign Minister Payne congratulated Vietnam for being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the next 2 years. Sharing the PM’ opinion on trade and investment, she said many Australian companies want to boost their investment in Vietnam. She also voiced Australia’s willingness to help Vietnam implement its development priorities in infrastructure, digital technology, and cyber security.  She pledged Australia’s continued close cooperation with Vietnam on the East Sea issue for regional peace, stability, and prosperity.