SYDNEY – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc held meetings with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Governor David Hurley of New South Wales on Friday immediately after he arrived in Sydney, continuing his official visit to Australia. 

At the meetings, the PM said he was impressed by the prosperous development of Sydney and New South Wales in general, and congratulated the state on its locomotive position in Australia’s economy, contributing more than 30 per cent of the national gross domestic product (GDP). 
"New South Wales is also an attractive destination for tourists worldwide, including those from Việt Nam," he added. 
The leader hoped that with its strength in industry, agriculture, finance and services, the state will enhance co-operation with Việt Nam, especially in areas such as trade, investment, education, science-technology, and tourism, while expanding collaboration with Vietnamese localities, helping deepen the freshly-established Việt Nam-Australia strategic partnership in a more pragmatic fashion, for the sake of the two countries’ people. 
In reply, Premier Berejiklian expressed her impression on Việt Nam’s development achievements, particularly in economy. 
She applauded the ties between Việt Nam and New South Wales, as well as Sydney, stressing that the strategic partnership would offer more opportunities for the two sides to expand co-operation across fields, including training and vocational education. 
Sydney was carrying out a four-year project worth AU$80 billion (US$62.4 billion) to upgrade its infrastructure, aiming to attract more foreign tourists and students, and seek co-operation opportunities with Southeast Asian nations, including Việt Nam, she said. 
The Premier welcomed the Voice of Vietnam (VOV)’s plan to open a representative office in Sydney, pledging to facilitate its operation. 
For his part, Governor Hurley said as Chief of the Australian Defence Force during 2011-14, he supported the enhancement of co-operation between Australia and Việt Nam in national defence and security through diverse forms. 
He told PM Phúc that Australia had sent many students to take part in exchange programmes in Việt Nam under the New Colombo Plan. 
Both the Premier and Governor lauded contributions of the Vietnamese community to the state, describing them as a firm foundation for the friendship and bond between the two countries’ people. 
Later the same day, PM Phúc met with Marie Bashir, former Premier of New South Wales, during which he highly valued the former Premier’s contributions to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development, especially in education, health care and public health through the “Forever Learning Fund” sponsored by the former Premier, as well as to the Việt Nam-Australia relationship. 
The leader expressed his hope that Marie Bashir, in any position, would continue to raise her voice to encourage and foster co-operation between Việt Nam and New South Wales and Australia at large. 
Vietnamese people wished to welcome the former Premier to visit Việt Nam at any time, he said. 
Marie Bashir promised that she would do her utmost to contribute to enhancing the friendship and strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Australia. 
She believed that Việt Nam and Australia would further intensify their role and position and make constructive contributions to the Asia-Pacific region. — VNS