Australia will provide an aid package worth AU$105 million (US$69.4 million) for Vietnam to develop sustainable infrastructure, and speed up energy transition, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made this announcement at a talk with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on Sunday.

Besides, the aid is also aimed at helping the Southeast Asian nation develop the mining industry.

Vietnam and Australia are striving to achieve $20 billion in bilateral trade in the coming time, the Vietnamese prime minister said at the talk, as part of the top Australian official’s visit to Vietnam.

Two-way trade totaled some $16 billion in 2022, up some 30 percent against 2021.

The two nations will shore up their connectivity of transport and the partnership in the financial, banking, and e-commerce fields.

Australia is also committed to creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese farm produce to enter its market.

The two nations will enhance the educational cooperation to strengthen highly-skilled workforces.

Over 300,000 Vietnamese citizens are living, working, and studying in Australia, said Australian PM Albanese.

RMIT University announced a new strategic investment fund to expand its operation in Ho Chi Minh City, witnessed by the Australian prime minister during his visit to the campus in Hanoi on Saturday.

Besides, the Australian official said that Western Sydney University would grant 60 scholarships to Vietnamese students.

Vietnam and Australia are eyeing tourism cooperation. Vietnam has two airlines that are operating direct air routes to Australia, with Vietjet’s air service linking Brisbane City, which will host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Prime Minister Chinh said that Vietnam and Australia would deepen their partnership in climate change response, digitalization, green transition, and circular economic development.

“We are pleased to announce the extension of the Aus4Innovation development assistance program. Accordingly, Australian agencies will collaborate with Vietnamese ones to advance research activities,” said Albanese.

Apart from these support programs and cooperative agreements, the two leaders put forward some solutions to upgrade the bilateral relations as soon as possible, heard a press conference.

After the two leaders’ talks, they witnessed the exchange of four cooperation instruments in the science-technology, financial, education, and trade fields.

Among them was the memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the establishment of a trade dialogue at the ministerial level.

Vietnamese low-cost airline Vietjet received a certificate for the Ho Chi Minh City – Brisbane air route, witnessed by the two top officials, while Vietnam’s national flag carrier announced its plan to open the Hanoi – Melbourne route at the event. 

Australian Prime Minister Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Saturday for his two-day Vietnam visit.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a welcome ceremony for Australian Prime Minister Anthoney Albanese at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Sunday morning.

This is the third time the two leaders have met each other.

The two had a meeting at an expanded summit of the Group of Seven in Japan two weeks ago.

This is PM Albanese’s first official visit to Vietnam since he took office in May last year.

His trip, made only two months after a state visit by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, is aimed at marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia.

During a talk between Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong and Australian Governor-General Hurley, as part of the latter’s official Vietnam visit in April, the two reached a consensus on upgrading the two-way relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership at the right time.

The Vietnam – Australia partnership focuses on three key pillars, including economic cooperation; knowledge, education and innovation; and national defense cooperation, according to Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski.

Goledzinowski expects the two countries to upgrade their ties, and make energy transition and climate change response the fourth key pillar of the two-way relationship in the coming time.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon, starting his two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

After his arrival, he visited RMIT University, a symbol of the two nations’ educational cooperation.

The leader of the university announced the next stage of the ‘RMIT’s commitment to Vietnam’ program, which features a strategic investment fund worth VND3.8 trillion (US$161.8 million), witnessed by the Australian prime minister.

The Australian prime minister also met some Vietnamese and Australian firms, feeling a glow of pride as Australia is Vietnam’s companion on the journey toward a major economy.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh told the Vietnam News Agency that Australian PM Albanese has a deep love for Vietnam. In 1987, when he was a young official, he accompanied a high-ranking delegation of the Australian government during a visit to Vietnam.

As such, when making a comeback to the Southeast Asian nation, Albanese spent some time visiting an eatery in Hanoi to enjoy his lunch.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spent time visiting a local beer spot in Hanoi to enjoy bia hoi (light Vietnamese draft beer) after he arrived in the Vietnamese capital city on Saturday afternoon.

PM Albanese joined a crowd at a draft beer spot on Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District to drink ice-cold draft beer and have lunch there.

The Australian leader sat at the same table as that of Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh and Director of the State Protocol Department Nguyen Viet Dung.

Before visiting the draft beer spot, PM Albanese bought a loaf of banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette served with different fillings, for lunch.

A staff member of a banh mi stall gives banh mi to PM Albanese.

A representative of the Vietnam-based brewer Habeco briefs PM Albanese on the history and development of Hanoi draft beer.

PM Albanese jointly says “Mot, hai, ba, do!” (one, two, three, Cheers!) and chats with people drinking beer in the shop.

The head of the Australian government enjoys local delicacies served with draft beer.

The Australian government leader shows his interest in the beer drinking culture of Hanoi.

PM Albanese eats Hanoi-style banh mi, saying it tasted so good.

PM Albanese says “Mot, hai, ba, do!” with some people sharing the same table with him.

Vietnam is the second destination of PM Albanese’s Southeast Asia trip. Earlier, he visited Singapore where he delivered an important speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2023, which is scheduled to take place from Friday to Sunday.

PM Albanese shakes hands with the owner of a draft beer spot on Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, June 3, 2023.

PM Albanese takes a wefie with two Vietnamese who helped him know more about Hanoian cuisine.

Sam Tran, a Vietnamese chef who lived in Australia, accompanied PM Albanese during a visit to the local draft beer spot.

She said the Australian leader did not book a private room but opted to enjoy draft beer like others normally do.

He sat at a table which is a large piece of plastic being placed above Hanoi draft beer barrels.

The top Australian official also showed his great chopstick skills when enjoying local food and ice-cold draft beer.

PM Albanese is a social person. He really enjoyed local food specialties. He also drank three glasses of draft beer in the afternoon, Sam Tran told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

PM Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

This is PM Albanese’s first official visit to Vietnam since he took office in May last year and only two months after a State-level visit by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, showing that Australia attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam.

PM Albanese and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Minister – Chairman of the Vietnamese Government Office Tran Van Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, and other diplomatic officials.

On Sunday, the Australian leader and his entourage are scheduled to lay wreaths in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi.

He will also hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and meet with the press; meet with General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The two PMs will jointly visit and meet with the women’s football teams of Australia and Vietnam.

Australia is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973.

The visit by PM Albanese takes place at a time when Vietnam and Australia celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski at a press briefing on June 2, 2023. Photo: Tien Dat / Tuoi Tre

Prior to the visit, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski told the press on Friday that the two nations are strategic partners in three pillars, including economic cooperation covering trade and investment; knowledge, innovation and education; and national defense cooperation.

The ambassador hoped that the two countries would upgrade their relationship to the next level and add the fourth pillar to their relationship.

The fourth pillar could be energy transition and climate change adaptation cooperation.

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