Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh (r) receives Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner on Wednesday.— VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Phạm Bình Minh on Wednesday hosted a reception for Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia Michael Gunner who is visiting Việt Nam this week.

At the meeting, both sides expressed their delight over the achievements in the Việt Nam-Australia strategic partnership especially in the realms of politics, defence, trade, education, and agriculture.

By the end of this year’s third quarter, two-way trade had reached US$5.72 billion, up 20 per cent from the same period in 2017. In addition, the two countries had made concerned efforts to promote relations between their localities, they said, particularly ties between the Northern Territory and HCM City, Hải Phòng, Khánh Hòa, and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu as noteworthy.

Deputy PM Minh said Việt Nam and Australia’s Northern Territory hold huge potential to boost co-operation in marine and air transportation, as well as tourism.

Stressing Việt Nam’s interest in developing high-tech agriculture, human resources training, and science-technology, Minh hoped that leaders of the Northern Territory would grant further scholarships to Vietnamese students through the Northern Territory Government’s “Study in Australia’s Northern Territory” (StudyNT) programme.

He also hoped the Northern Territory would expand its favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese living and working in the locality.

Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory always attached importance to strengthening bonds with Việt Nam and that it stood ready to bolster co-operation in trade, investment, and education, while also considering collaboration in transport and tourism with the Southeast Asian country.

The Northern Territory would facilitate conditions for low-cost carrier Vietjet Air to open an air route to the city of Darwin next year, he said, adding that Vietnamese corporations, including Vingroup and TH True Milk, were welcome to land investments in the territory, particularly in the fields of its strength like husbandry, plantation, and tourism.

Deputy PM Minh Mr Gunner witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Northern Territory’s Chamber of Commerce.

During his stay, there will be working sessions with Minister of Education and Training Phùng Xuân Nhạ, Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Phong, as well as Vietnamese businesses operating in trade, agriculture, education, and transport. — VNS