The Darwin Fusion 2026 International Convergence and Cooperation Forum was held in Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, from July 10 to 12, providing a platform to strengthen regional partnerships and expand economic cooperation.

As part of the event, the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia hosted a Vietnam Pavilion showcasing a range of products from Vietnamese businesses to international partners and Australian consumers.

The forum brought together representatives from the Northern Territory Government, the ASEAN-Australia Centre under Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and diplomatic missions from the United States, China, Japan, Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

In his opening remarks, Darwin Lord Mayor Peter Styles said the forum underscored the city's commitment to strengthening economic partnerships with ASEAN member states, China and Pacific nations.

Panel discussions and keynote presentations focused on measures to promote trade and investment cooperation between Darwin, the Northern Territory and international partners. Discussions also highlighted Darwin's interest in establishing a "Friendship City" relationship with Ho Chi Minh City and other localities in Vietnam.

During a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam in late June, Lord Mayor Styles agreed with the ambassador's assessment that there remains substantial untapped potential for bilateral cooperation and that Darwin is well positioned to expand its engagement with Vietnamese provinces and cities.

Lord Mayor Styles is expected to lead a trade delegation to Ho Chi Minh City this December to further strengthen cooperation between the two cities across a range of sectors, with a particular focus on education and innovation.

Regarding Ambassador Pham Hung Tam's proposal for Darwin to establish a sister-city partnership with Vietnam's Gia Lai Province, Lord Mayor Styles said the city would initially consider developing a Friendship City relationship as a step toward a formal sister-city agreement in the longer term.

A key highlight of the Darwin Fusion 2026 forum was the Darwin Fusion Trade Show 2026, which featured more than 40 exhibition booths from Australian and ASEAN businesses.

Through the Vietnam Pavilion, the Vietnamese Embassy promoted a wide range of products, including garments, sporting goods and processed foods, introducing Vietnamese enterprises to international business partners and Australian visitors.

At the exhibition's business-to-business (B2B) networking sessions, the embassy also actively promoted the potential of Vietnam's halal industry to partners from Australia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

The initiative is expected to create new opportunities for Vietnamese halal food products to enter the promising Northern Australian market while leveraging the region as a strategic gateway to neighboring markets in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.