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Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung welcomes Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. |
Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung, Deputy Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, chaired the reception. The guest of honor was Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Commander of the Royal Australian Navy.
Attendees also included Pham Hung Tam, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia, representatives from Australian authorities and navies participating in the events, the Vietnamese expatriate community in Australia, and officers and sailors of Ship 016-Quang Trung.
At the reception, Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung conveyed greetings from Vice Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, to Vice Admiral Mark Hammond and the entire RAN on the occasion of the RAN 125th founding anniversary. He wished the force would continue to grow and make active contributions to the regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
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Vietnamese-flavored dishes enjoyed by the guests. |
Over the past 50 years, the Vietnam - Australia relationship has constantly developed based on political trust, mutual respect, and shared interests. The elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024 marked a strategic milestone, expanding multifaceted cooperation nurtured by the efforts of both States and the bonds between their peoples.
Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung emphasized that in the overall bilateral relationship, defense and naval cooperation serves as an essential pillar. This collaboration has become increasingly substantive through delegation exchanges, training, ship visits, and mutual support at multilateral forums, thereby contributing to maintaining peace and stability in regional waters.
On behalf of the delegation, Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung thanked the Australian Department of Defense, the RAN, and Vice Admiral Mark Hammond for their practical support, viewing it as a vivid testament to the friendship between the two navies.
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Singer Doan Hong Hanh from the Naval Art Troupe performs at the reception. |
He also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Pham Hung Tam, the Vietnamese Embassy to Australia, and the expatriate community for helping the delegation fulfill its plans. He considered the ambassador’s presence a tremendous encouragement for officers and sailors of Ship 016-Quang Trung to successfully complete their assigned missions.
For his part, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond expressed his honor in welcoming Ship 016-Quang Trung to Sydney and congratulated Vietnam on its second participation in the Kakadu exercise. The commander noted that the visit marked the longest voyage in the history of the Vietnam People’s Navy, a pride that Australia wished to share.
The Vice Admiral affirmed that Vietnam is a key partner of Australia. The upgrade to a comprehensive strategic partnership and the signing of a peacekeeping cooperation agreement in March 2024 held immense significance. Within this framework, substantive defense and security cooperation remains a crucial pillar that Australia is committed to promoting.
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Lieutenant Commander Dang Van Do, Commanding Officer of Ship 016 Quang Trung, introduces the ship to Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam and expatriates. |
Concluding the reception, Rear Admiral Nguyen Dinh Hung and the delegates raised a toast to the development of the two countries, militaries, and navies of Vietnam and Australia.
Translated by Minh Anh