Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hầu A Lềnh  meets Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. — VNA/VNS Photo

SYDNEY — Ethnic minorities in Việt Nam and indigenous Australians have many similarities and this is a solid basis for promoting experience sharing and cooperation on ethnic affairs between the two sides, Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) Hầu A Lềnh said on Monday at a working session with Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney during his visit to Australia.

The Government of Việt Nam has always cared for and supported ethnic minorities in all aspects of life, from education, culture, to healthcare, he said, adding that it has just issued a strategy on ethnic affairs for the 2021-2030 period, he said.

The CEMA has prepared a draft “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and sent it to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Embassy in Việt Nam as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia.

The Vietnamese official expressed his hope that the two sides would soon agree on the proposed collaboration contents so that the MoU will be signed by 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, marking a milestone in the cooperation on ethnic minority and indigenous affairs of the two countries.

The Australian minister said she agreed with the proposals made by the Vietnamese side on issues that the two countries can cooperate while expressing her desire to promote the development of their bilateral relationship. She affirmed that Australia and Việt Nam can share experience and boast numerous opportunities for cooperation in the field.

Within the framework of the trip to Australia, the Vietnamese delegation also had working sessions with the authorities and agencies in charge of indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory, the Australian Indigenous Entrepreneurs' Organisation, the NIAA, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra. — VNS