Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made this statement during a reception for the Speaker of Australia’s House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, in Hanoi on January 7.

The government leader valued Speaker Harry Jenkins’ visit and expressed his pleasure at the recent developments in bilateral ties.

Australia is the fourth-largest export market for Vietnam , with two-way trade reaching 6 billion USD in 2008. The country is also implementing numerous large-scale projects in Vietnam .

Australia is now home to more than 9,000 Vietnamese students and post-graduates.
PM Dung made the suggestion that Australia consider allowing Vietnamese citizens to enjoy visa regulations similar to those offered by several other countries and expressed his hope that Australia would soon recognise Vietnam as a market-oriented economy.

He said he hoped that the two sides would sign agreements on labour cooperation and support for the construction of Cao Lanh Bridge in southern Dong Thap province in the near future.

He also affirmed that the Vietnamese government would work to facilitate and encourage Australian businesses’ investment in the country.

On this occasion, PM Dung thanked the Australian parliament and government for increasing its official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam and creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese expatriates in Australia .
Speaker Harry Jenkins informed the PM of the results of his talks with National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and expressed his belief that the visit would actively contribute to the sustainable relationship between the two countries.

He said he was delighted at the developments in bilateral cooperation in the past, which has brought many practical benefits to both sides.

Vietnam and Australia have experienced excellent developments in socio-economic relations and have also cooperated closely at regional and international forums, contributing to the world’s peace, stability and development, Jenkins said.

He added that the Australian Minister of Immigration and Citizenship will visit Vietnam in the future to discuss specific agreements regarding the implementation of visa regulations for Vietnamese citizens