State President Lương Cường and his spouse welcomes Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, her spouse, to the State banquet in Hà Nội on September 10. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and her spouse Simeon Beckett departed HCM City on September 12 evening, concluding their four-day state visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of State President Lương Cường and his spouse.

During her stay, Mostyn paid a floral tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum, and laid flowers at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs on Bắc Sơn Street in Hà Nội.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm hosted a reception for the Governor-General, while State President Cường chaired the official welcome ceremony, held talks, and hosted a state banquet with the guest. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn also held meetings with the Australian leader.

During the meetings and talks, the Vietnamese leaders welcomed Mostyn’s first state visit, and congratulated Australia on its achievements in sci-tech, cultural diversity, and climate action. They believed that Australia would continue to play a constructive role in fostering global and regional peace, stability, and development.

Mostyn thanked the Vietnamese leaders for their warm hospitality, expressing admiration for Việt Nam's people, history, and rich cultural traditions, as well as its resilience and optimism in national development.

Congratulating Việt Nam on its recent achievements, she hailed Việt Nam as one of Australia’s most trusted partners, and wished to deepen all-around cooperation to foster a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.

Both sides lauded the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024 as a historic milestone that reflects strategic trust and a shared resolve to advance bilateral relations into a new phase.

In Hanoi, Mostyn met with Politburo member Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, President of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theory Council. She also delivered a speech at the third Việt Nam–Australia Forum, themed “Building public service excellence in a new era of growth”.

In HCM City, she met with Trần Lưu Quang, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee.

Her itinerary included attending the opening of the Australia–Việt Nam Policy Institute’s representative office in Hanoi, meeting Vietnamese peacekeepers in HCM City, and taking a leisurely stroll around Hà Nội's iconic Hoàn Kiếm Lake with her spouse to enjoy the city’s autumn scenery and interact with local residents. — VNA/VNS