Party General Secretary & President Tô Lâm and delegates attended the inauguration ceremony for the  Việt Nam House in Canberra on August 11. — VNA/VNS Photo

CANBERRA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam attended a ceremony in Canberra on Tuesday to inaugurate Việt Nam House and meet with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Australia and Solomon Islands, as part of his state visit to Australia.

Reporting to General Secretary and President Lâm, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Phạm Hùng Tâm said the Việt Nam House will serve diplomatic, cultural and community activities. It is the first Việt Nam House in Australia and the South Pacific region, serving as a common home for the Vietnamese community and a space to preserve the Vietnamese language, promote Vietnamese culture and nurture younger generations’ attachment to their roots. It will also help Australians gain a better understanding of Việt Nam and its people, he said.

The ambassador said Vietnamese representative agencies in Australia have contributed to implementing 96 per cent of action lines under the Action Plan for the Việt Nam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2024–27. The Vietnamese community in Australia has also made significant contributions to the bilateral ties. Businesspeople, intellectuals, experts and students have strengthened solidarity, supported Vietnamese representative agencies and engaged in activities contributing to national development and cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Trần Bá Phúc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia, said the community is proud of its national roots and pleased with Việt Nam's development achievements. He expressed his confidence that Việt Nam–Australia relations will continue to reach new heights and become increasingly substantive, effective and sustainable.

He went on saying that the association will work with the Vietnamese Embassy to build a stronger and more united community, serving as a bridge between businesses of the two countries and promoting trade and investment, technology transfer, innovation and high-quality human resources development.

Prof. Dr Chu Hoàng Long, Director of the Việt Nam Policy Research Centre at the Australian National University, expressed his appreciation for Việt Nam's determination to pursue long-term development strategies and aspirations for rapid and sustainable growth and a stronger international standing.

In recent times, Vietnamese scientists in Australia have strived to carry out scientific research projects serving Việt Nam's socio-economic development and share knowledge with domestic partners, while expressing a desire for closer cooperation with Việt Nam, he said.

Talking to the community, General Secretary and President Lâm said during his visit, he and Australian leaders discussed measures to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Việt Nam and Australia. He asked Australian authorities to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate further and make greater contributions to the host country’s economic and social development.

Briefing the community on the domestic situation, he said that after more than four decades of Đổi mới (Renewal), Việt Nam has emerged as one of the world’s dynamic and fast-growing economies. In the first half of 2026, the country's GDP grew by 8.18 per cent, while macroeconomic stability was maintained, social welfare ensured and people’s living standards improved.

He stressed that the Party and State consistently view the people as the foundation, centre, subject, goal, driving force and resource of development.

Referring to Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese issued by the Politburo on August 2, the top leader said the resolution reflects a new approach that regards overseas Vietnamese as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese community and an important strategic resource and bridge between Việt Nam and the world.

He expressed his belief that overseas Vietnamese communities, including those in Australia, will continue to grow stronger and more united, contributing to Việt Nam's international integration. He called on Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, entrepreneurs and students in Australia to leverage their expertise, connect Việt Nam with international knowledge, technology and resources, and contribute to national development in the new era.

Earlier the same day, General Secretary and President Lâm and the Vietnamese delegation, together with Australian officials, members of the diplomatic corps and Australian friends, attended the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia. — VNA/VNS