PM arrives in Melbourne for ASEAN - Australia Special Summit, official visit

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived at Melbourne airport on March 4, beginning their trip to attend the ASEAN - Australia Special Summit and official visit to Australia.

Welcoming them at the airport were Australian officials, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam and representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community in Australia.

The Summit marks the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN - Australia dialogue relations and will be followed by an official visit to Australia from March 5-9 at the invitation of Australian PM Anthony Albanese.

Themed "A Partnership for the Future," the Summit presents an opportunity for both sides to reflect on their five-decade relationship and plan for future development in line with bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2021.

PM Chinh, along with other ASEAN and Australian leaders, will outline visions, directions, and concrete measures to expand cooperation in the coming years. Notably, Australia is to propose new cooperative initiatives, which, if agreed upon, could lead to breakthroughs in bilateral relations and further bolster ASEAN-Australia relations.

While in Australia, the Vietnamese PM will engage in talks and meetings with Australia's top leaders. He will attend the Vietnam - Australia business forum, visit an exhibition showcasing investment projects in Vietnam, and hold working sessions with Australian business associations and major corporations.

Furthermore, he is set to tour various socioeconomic and scientific research facilities and interact with Vietnamese and Australian intellectuals and experts.

Beyond evaluating the progress of bilateral ties, particularly within the framework of the Vietnam - Australia strategic partnership, both sides will map out future cooperation directions. These efforts aim to elevate bilateral relations to a new height, with a focus on trade and investment cooperation, especially in education-training, sci-tech, innovation, digital economy, and green economy.

The visit is expected to culminate in the signing and exchange of cooperation agreements in various fields, including education, energy, minerals, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, science and technology, innovation, law, finance, trade and investment.

TB (according to VNA)