PM Pham Minh Chinh and PM Anthony Albanese inspect the guard of honor, Hanoi, June 4, 2023.

Mr. Albanese’s first official visit to Vietnam since he took office comes just two months after a State visit by the Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley, reflecting the importance Australia attaches to relations with Vietnam.  

Apart from talks with PM Chinh, the Australian PM will meet Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. 

Before the welcome ceremony, PM Albanese and his entourage paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi.

Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic relations in 1973. Over the past 50 years, bilateral ties have seen substantial and effective development, with economic and trade cooperation a bright spot. Two-way trade reached almost 15.7 billion USD in 2022, up nearly 27% from 2021. Australia is now the seventh largest trade partner of Vietnam while Vietnam is the 10th largest trade partner of Australia.

The two countries have signed an Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy (EEES), under which they are working to bolster bilateral trade and investment cooperation.