On 9 September 2026, at the Embassy of Viet Nam in Canberra, Australia, Vanuatu High Commissioner to Australia Jimmy Nipo paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Pham Hung Tam.

At the meeting, High Commissioner Jimmy Nipo expressed his admiration for Viet Nam and spoke highly of the solid foundation of the bilateral relationship, which has been built on historical, political and people-to-people ties. He expressed his desire to learn from Viet Nam’s development experience and further advance bilateral relations to a new level, making them broader, deeper and more substantive.

For his part, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam fondly recalled his positive impressions and memories of Vanuatu and its people during his presentation of credentials in May 2025. He highlighted the enduring bonds between the two countries and their peoples, from the past to the present, and appreciated the recent positive development of bilateral relations, notably marked by the private visit to Viet Nam by Prime Minister of Vanuatu Jotham Napat in January 2026.

Ambassador Pham Hung Tam also underscored the potential for mutually complementary cooperation between the two countries in such areas as trade, education, fisheries and people-to-people exchanges. He proposed that the Vanuatu side provide an early response regarding fisheries cooperation and the exemption of visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport holders of the two countries.

On the occasion, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam expressed his appreciation to the Government of Vanuatu for its support for Viet Nam’s candidate for the position of Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026–2035 term. He also expressed his hope that Vanuatu would continue to support Viet Nam’s candidate for membership of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the 2028–2032 term.

The two diplomats agreed to continue close coordination to further strengthen bilateral relations, enhance high-level exchanges and promote cooperation in areas that bring tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples.