Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân (right) has a meeting with Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam Robyn Mudie on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân has asked newly-appointed Australian Ambassador Robyn Mudie to encourage exchanges of delegations and meetings to enhance political trust and co-operation between the two countries.
At a reception for the Australian diplomat in Hà Nội on Wednesday, Ngân thanked Mudie and Australian agencies for their contributions to the success of an official visit to Việt Nam by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in August 2019, as well as Vietnamese NA Vice Chairwoman Tòng Thị Phóng’s attendance at the 28th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in Australia and her meeting with Vice President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines last January.
Ngân extended her sympathy over great losses caused by recent forest fires in Australia, expressing her belief that the country will overcome the consequences of the incidents.
The NA Chairwoman also voiced her hope that Việt Nam and Australia will increase sharing of information and experience to tackle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), as the two countries have reported similar numbers of infections and recoveries.
The top legislator said she expected the two sides will soon complete the building of a programme to deploy the Strategic Partnership for 2020-23 and build an enhanced economic engagement strategy to become top ten trade partners of each other and double the flow of investment, bringing two-way trade to US$10 billion this year.
Mudie, who previously lived in Việt Nam in 1992, pledged to spare no efforts to fulfil her tasks during her term of office, contributing to Australia- Việt Nam relations.
She spoke highly of Việt Nam’s efforts to fight COVID-19 as the country has a larger population than Australia’s and is near the outbreak’s epicentre.
Australia pledged to continue assisting Viet Nam as the country holds major roles in international relations, especially the non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-21 and Chair of ASEAN this year, Mudie said.
Australia will work to foster relations between the two parliaments through parliamentary friendship groups and programmes to raise the capacity of parliamentarians, the ambassador added. — VNS