Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam paid a courtesy call to Senator Simon Birmingham, the opposition's Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, on August 14.

Senator Birmingham expressed his satisfaction with the growing Vietnam-Australia ties, particularly since the establishment of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He highlighted the strengthened dialogue mechanisms and shared interests in maintaining regional peace, security and stability.

Vietnam and Australia complement each other's markets, ensuring a reliable supply chain for trade, Birmingham remarked.

He also noted his country's substantial investment funds that could boost relevant activities in Vietnam, along with the deepening people-to-people exchanges driven by a rise in tourism.

Ambassador Tam briefed the host about the recent strides in bilateral ties since the relationship's upgrade during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Australia in March 2024, highlighting the increase of visits and dialogue mechanisms at various levels, the resumption of two-way trade growth, and the emergence of new investment opportunities, particularly in energy transition and green transformation.

Tourism and people-to-people exchanges have also flourished, Tam said.

He suggested that the host continue supporting the development of bilateral ties, including expanding market access for each other's agricultural products.

In a bid to foster educational cooperation, the diplomat also proposed the early removal of temporary restrictions imposed by South Australia – the Senator's home state – on students from Vietnam's central region seeking to study there./.