National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has told Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia to boost investments to match its great potential.
The two leaders held talks in Canberra on March 12 as part of Chairman Trong’s visit to Australia.
Chairman Trong said Australia ’s investments into Viet Nam remained modest, although it is the seventh largest trade partner and the fourth largest export market of the Southeast Asian nation with bilateral trade revenues reaching 9 billion USD in 2007.
Australia boasts a great potential and increasing regional and international prestige, making it good for Viet Nam to boost multi-faceted cooperation, especially in economy, trade and investment, said the chief legislator.
Trong also called for more regular exchanges of visits as good opportunities for Vietnamese to draw experiences in global integration for development.
For his part, PM Kevin Rudd recalled an event 35 years ago when the Labour-ruled Australian Government was among the first in the world to establish ties with Viet Nam as a signal of Australia’s respect to relations with the Southeast Asian nation.
He also congratulated Viet Nam for its recent achievements in socio-economic development and regional and international integration.
Prior to the talks with PM Rudd, Chairman Trong met Speaker of the House of Representatives Harry Jenkins, who emphasised the mutual respect and mutual assistance in relations between the two countries.
The host also called for efforts to expand bilateral ties to other areas such as terror fight and epidemics control.
He described Chairman Trong’s visit as a step forward in bilateral relations.
Australia is always a friend and leading trade partner of Viet nam , said Jenkins.
He said Australian investments in Viet Nam have been showing efficiency and the influxes of Australian tourists are increasing.
He also expressed satisfaction at constantly improved bilateral relations in education, aviation, mining and many other areas.
Jenkins concluded by lauding the Vietnamese community’s contributions to the economic and cultural development in Australia as well as their roles in opening opportunities for dialogues and cooperation between the two countries.
Trong and his high-level National Assembly delegation also had working sessions with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Michael Porshaw, Foreign Minister of the opposition party Andrew Robb and representatives from the Australia-Viet Nam Friendly Parliamentarians Group.
During their meetings, host and guest exchanged experiences in law-making and supervision of Government operations as well as discussed measures to cement cooperation in a large range of areas, from energy to mining, education, infrastructure development and HIV/AIDS control.
Chairman Trong and his entourage also attended Senate and House hearings at the Parliament House.
The NA leader attended a gathering with crowds of overseas Vietnamese in Australia at the Vietnamese Embassy.
Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Tan held a party in honour of Chairman Trong, his wife and his entourage.
Among the guests were representatives from the Australian Parliament and Foreign Ministry and Ambassadors from nine member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the three northeastern Asian nations of China , Japan and the Republic of Korea.
