Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Phạm Hùng Tâm (first from right) and Governor Christopher John Dawson (second from right) during their meeting. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The leaders of Western Australia have expressed appreciation for and commitment to strengthening cooperation with Việt Nam, highlighting shared opportunities in trade, education, tourism, and energy.

From October 9–11, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Phạm Hùng Tâm paid an official visit to Western Australia at the invitation of the state’s leaders.

During the visit, Tâm met with Governor Christopher John Dawson, Premier Roger Cook, and Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett, as well as local businesses and representatives of the Vietnamese community.

The ambassador noted that thanks to the active efforts of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth, ties between Western Australia and Việt Nam have grown steadily in parallel with the strong momentum of the Việt Nam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

A key advantage in bilateral engagement is the direct flight connecting Perth, the capital of Western Australia, with HCM City, Việt Nam’s largest economic hub. The short flight time and competitive fares have helped boost tourism, cultural exchange, and business cooperation between the two sides.

On education, the ambassador said Việt Nam and Australia have established a Joint Working Group on Transnational Education to foster collaboration in training and research.

He suggested that the University of Western Australia consider opening a campus in Việt Nam, similar to the RMIT University model, and called on the state authorities to continue supporting more than 3,000 Vietnamese students studying there.

Regarding trade and investment, the ambassador emphasised Việt Nam’s growing demand for raw materials from Australia, especially Western Australia’s iron ore.

Việt Nam is currently one of the state’s top five iron ore importers and also has potential to export electronics, consumer goods, and construction materials to the Australian market. He also pointed out cooperation potential in skilled labor, given Western Australia’s need for construction workers and engineers.

Tâm proposed pursuing a government-level agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications of Vietnamese and Australian engineers and technicians.

He also noted the strong two-way tourism flow, with more than 200,000 Vietnamese visiting Australia each year and about 500,000 Australians traveling to Việt Nam, helping deepen mutual understanding and people-to-people ties.

Governor Dawson reaffirmed that the long-standing and effective relationship between Australia and Việt Nam continues to drive cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and tourism. Premier Cook expressed a desire to further strengthen economic relations with Việt Nam, particularly in energy, and revealed plans for a state delegation to visit Việt Nam to explore opportunities in renewable energy collaboration.

The Premier also supported establishing a sister relationship between Western Australia and HCM City, given that the state’s previous partnership with Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province is now administratively part of the southern metropolis.

Cockburn Mayor Howlett highlighted his city’s strengths in maritime, shipbuilding, healthcare, and heavy industry, noting that it houses a submarine maintenance facility under the AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership.

With future shipbuilding projects and the University of Western Australia’s planned research centre on sustainable ocean technology, he said Cockburn will create thousands of new jobs presenting opportunities for international students, including those from Việt Nam.

During the trip, Tâm also met Vietnamese businesses and community representatives in Western Australia, encouraging stronger business networks and support for bilateral economic and investment cooperation.

Earlier, from October 6–8, the ambassador visited Darwin in the Northern Territory, where he met with Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations Robyn Cahill and discussed potential projects involving Vietnamese enterprises, including those of Vingroup and the Việt Nam–Northern Australia Business Council. VNA/VNS