Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's recent visit to Australia and New Zealand opened new charters in the robust development of friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the two Oceanian countries, said Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Australian PM. |
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s recent visit to Australia and New Zealand opened new charters in the robust development of friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the two Oceanian countries, said Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.
The Vietnamese PM Dung and leaders of both Australia and New Zealand agreed that the Vietnam-Australia and Vietnam-New Zealand comprehensive partnerships have seen positive development in all areas, Trung said in an interview with media following the Prime Minister’s visits to the countries which concluded on March 20.
“To improve the efficiency and practicality of the bilateral relations, Australia and New Zealand agreed to lift their relations with Vietnam to a new level towards a strategic partnership,” Trung said, emphasising that “this is an important milestone in relations between Vietnam and the two countries, creating a political and legal framework for promoting cooperation in fields of strategic significance.”
Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand agreed to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and boost cooperation via all channels. Both Australian Prime Minister and Governor General confirmed they will visit Vietnam soon while New Zealand’s Prime Minister expects to visit the Southeast Asian country this September.
Australia and New Zealand appreciated Vietnam’s achievements in the renewal process as well as the country’s increasingly significant position in the international arena. They praised Vietnam’s efforts in stablising macro-economy, improving business climate and global integration and expressed their optimism about the prospects of cooperation in trade, investment and tourism cooperation in the future.
The Deputy Foreign Minister went to say that Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand reached many specific agreements to promote cooperation in agriculture, mining industry, science and technology and human resources development, and facilitate the access of Vietnamese agricultural products and seafood to both countries.
The two countries are keen on promoting defence and security cooperation with Vietnam in teaching English and improving capacity in peacekeeping missions, law enforcement at sea, submarine rescue, wartime bomb and mine clearance, and fighting trans-national crime, hi-tech crime and terrorism, among others, according to the Deputy Foreign Minister.
Another area of strategic cooperation between Vietnam and the two countries is education, training and exchanges, Trung said, adding Australia and New Zealand pledged to maintain scholarships for Vietnamese students and help Vietnam train qualified workforce via means including higher education, general education and vocational training.
New Zealand and Vietnam are also working to complete all necessary procedures to be able to open a direct flight route in 2017, the Deputy Foreign Minister said.
The three countries agreed to maintain coordination at international and regional forums, and provide support to each other in negotiations and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The countries also agreed on the need to maintain peace and security in Asia-Pacific and affirmed the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, not using force or threatening to use force, and peacefully settling disputes on basis of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ) .
On cooperation prospects between Vietnam and the two Oceanian countries, Trung said in addition to positive results achieved during the visit, there are many factors contributing to cooperation prospects between Vietnam and the nations.
The three countries shared views on many important issues and can cooperate and support each other in various areas.
Australia and New Zealand have multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam for years and achieved positive results.
(Source: VNA)
