Vice President of the National Assembly Nguyễn Hồng Diên receives Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam Gillian Bird. — VNA/VNS PhotosTuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — Vice President of the National Assembly Nguyễn Hồng Diên, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, received Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird at the NA House in Hà Nội on Friday afternoon

At the meeting, Diên expressed his pleasure at the strong and sustainable development of Việt Nam-Australia relations over the past five decades, affirming that Việt Nam and its National Assembly in particular attach great importance to ties with Australia.

He spoke highly of the significant progress made since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024, noting that the August 2026 visit to Australia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm had further strengthened bilateral ties across various fields.

On the occasion, he congratulated Australian House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick on his election as President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for the 2026-2029 term.

Regarding economic and trade cooperation, Diên said two-way trade reached US$11 billion in the first eight months of 2026 and is expected to hit around $16 billion for the full year, with both sides committed to working towards the $20 billion target. He called for stronger investment cooperation, particularly in technology, innovation, new energy and mineral extraction.

To deepen bilateral ties as well as relations between the two legislative bodies, the legislator proposed that the sides step up the exchange of experience in lawmaking on issues of mutual interest, through online meetings or in-person visits by the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries.

He highlighted the need for fresh breakthroughs and favourable legal and institutional frameworks to help businesses and investors from both countries access each other's markets, ensure smooth trade and investment flows, and minimise trade barriers.

He also called for expanded exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, tourism, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Vice President of the National Assembly Nguyễn Hồng Diên with Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam Gillian Bird.

Diên proposed that the two parliaments coordinate in overseeing government agencies' implementation of the Action Plan for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, maintain annual meetings between their parliamentary friendship groups, and continue supporting each other at multilateral forums, particularly in the region.

For her part, Ambassador Gillian Bird affirmed Australia's high regard for bilateral cooperation and its desire to maintain parliamentary exchanges at a high level.

Australia is particularly proud of the two countries' elevation of their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024, and welcomes the positive progress in implementing the bilateral Action Plan, she said, adding more than 90% of its commitments have been successfully implemented or are on track for completion, she noted.

Bird expressed her confidence that the two sides would soon work together to draft the next Action Plan, starting in 2027.

Sharing the cooperation priorities proposed by Diên, the ambassador underscored the importance of stepping up high-level delegation exchanges and maintaining regular contacts. She also proposed that the two legislative bodies soon establish working groups on specific areas. — VNA/VNS Photo