Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam receives Australian Ambassador Craig Chittick in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam received Australian Ambassador Craig Chittick in Hà Nội on Wednesday, congratulating the outgoing diplomat on having fulfilled his tasks in Việt Nam.

The Deputy PM said the ambassador has greatly contributed to Việt Nam-Australia relations, noting that the Friendship Order presented to him is the Vietnamese State and Government’s highest recognition of these contributions.

Đam expressed his delight at the development of bilateral ties in multiple aspects, including trade, defence-security and education. 

From 2016 to 2018, trade increased by 17 per cent annually on average. Some agricultural products of Việt Nam’s strength like lychee, mango and dragon fruit have entered the Australian market, which is a good sign for other farm produce, he noted.

In the time ahead, the two sides need to continue carrying out practical measures to facilitate bilateral trade and investment. They should also work together to make use of the multilateral agreements to which both are parties, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), he added.

The official also highlighted the increasingly effective co-operation in defence-security, adding that Australia has actively helped Việt Nam train and transport officers to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

Appreciating Australia’s official development assistance for Việt Nam, Deputy PM Đam asked the Australian Government to pay more attention to the country’s key areas such as infrastructure, poverty reduction, climate change response, and competitiveness improvement.

In terms of collaboration in education and science-technology, he asked Australia to increase assisting Việt Nam in human resources training, innovation programmes and scientific-technological research.

The official also called for stronger ties between localities, people-to-people exchange, and co-operation in culture, tourism and sports, thus creating a solid foundation for enhancing all-round partnerships at all levels.

For his part, Ambassador Chittick said there are many factors bringing Việt Nam and Australia closer to each other, including similarities and the two peoples’ sentiment.

He also noted that his country has assisted Việt Nam in many fields, thereby developing bilateral relations in a fast and sustainable manner.

The diplomat affirmed that in whatever positions he will hold, he will keep contributing to the two countries’ strategic partnership. — VNS