At the reception, the two sides hailed the achievements in the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership over the past time, especially in the fields of politics, defense, trade, education and agriculture. They acknowledged that the cooperation between the Northern Territory of Australia and Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been strongly developed.

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Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh (2nd from the right) and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner witness the signing of an MoU between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Northern Territory’s Chamber of Commerce

The guest affirmed that the Northern Territory of Australia attaches importance to relations with Vietnam and is willing to strengthen their cooperation in trade, investment and education while considering expanding cooperation in transport and tourism.

He added that the Northern Territory will create favorable conditions for Vietnam’s low-cost carrier Vietjet Air to open its air route from Vietnam to Darwin in 2019. He also encouraged Vietnamese businesses, including Vingroup and TH True Milk to invest in the territory, especially in husbandry, plantation and tourism. 

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh stressed that with favorable natural geographical conditions and strategic position, Vietnam’s localities, especially southern provinces and cities and the Northern Territory of Australia have huge potential for boosting cooperation in marine and air transportation and tourism.

Emphasizing Vietnam’s interest in developing high-tech agriculture, human resources training and science-technology, the host hoped the territory to offer more scholarships to Vietnamese students through the StudyNT program and create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese in the locality.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Northern Territory’s Chamber of Commerce to create a cooperation framework for businesses of the two countries.

During his stay in Vietnam, Michael Gunner will work with Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong and Vietnamese businesses operating in trade, agriculture, education and transport.

Translated by Tran Hoai