Australia commits to increasing ODA to Việt Nam to assist socio-economic achievements

Chairman of the National Assembly Trần Thanh Mẫn hosted an official welcome ceremony in Hà Nội on Sunday for President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines.  VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Australia has committed 95.7 million Australian dollars of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Việt Nam in the 2024-25 period to help the country develop socio-economic goals.

The announcement was made by President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines during her talks with National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn in Hà Nội on Sunday.

She suggested Việt Nam simplify ODA approval procedures so that Australia can deploy it rapidly.

The talks followed an official welcome ceremony for the Australian leader to the capital.

NA Chairman Mẫn, meanwhile, also proposed Australia continue to maintain and increase ODA capital for Việt Nam in human resource development, especially in semiconductors, public management, public policy building and macro-finance.

Highlighting that this was the second visit made by the President of the Australian Senate to Việt Nam, the Chairman said the visits contributed to the relationship between the two countries and the two parliaments, especially the sharing of knowledge on women, children and vulnerable groups.

Sue Lines emphasised that Australia and Việt Nam had become each other’s most important partners, together further strengthening cooperation in new areas and top priority areas such as digital transformation, climate change, energy and peacekeeping.

The two leaders believed that the visit this time would promote the newly-upgraded comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The visit affirmed that political trust and mutual understanding had been increasingly consolidated, especially through maintaining regular delegation exchanges and high-level contacts at all channels, including the parliamentary one, they said.

Việt Nam and Australia had maintained over 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms with many positive results. Economic and trade cooperation had been maintained stably, with two-way trade turnover in 2023 reaching nearly US$14 billion.

In July this year, two-way trade turnover reached $8.2 billion, up 4.7 per cent over the same period last year.

NA Chairman Mẫn said there was still much room for the two countries’ increased cooperation.

In order to further deepen the Việt Nam – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that had just been established, he proposed the two sides continue to strengthen cooperation at all channels, coordinate to develop the action programme to implement the Việt Nam – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the 2024-28 period.

He also proposed promoting people-to-people exchanges, enhancing practical cooperation between localities and friendship associations of the two countries.

The two sides also agreed to continue to effectively implement the Việt Nam-Australia Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy, aiming to bring trade turnover to $20 billion and double two-way investment.

The two countries would continue to promote tourism cooperation in many forms, including opening up new direct flights.

Both sides pledged to expand investment in areas that Việt Nam is prioritising and Australia has strengths in, such as high technology, innovation, clean energy, renewable energy, mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, services, tourism and high-tech agriculture.

Australia wished to cooperate with Việt Nam in offshore wind power, the Australian leader said.

Chairman Mẫn hoped that Australia would support Việt Nam in implementing programmes to respond to climate change and develop sustainable livelihoods for the Mekong Delta region and respond to drought in the Central Highlands, central and southern provinces.

He also wished Australia would share experiences in building financial systems and policies to support the establishment of carbon markets, equitable energy transition, green energy and environmental protection.

He added that Việt Nam highly appreciated Australia’s stance and suggested that Australia continue to closely coordinate and support the principled stance of Việt Nam and ASEAN in ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) and resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law.

He suggested that the two sides increase high-level contacts and parliamentary committees, as well as exchanges between the two parliamentary friendship groups.

The two parliaments should promote cooperation, especially in training and fostering officials, exchanging experiences in research, consultation and parliamentary activities’ organisation, Trần Thanh Mẫn said.

He expressed his hope that the two countries would support each other at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF). 

During her visit to Việt Nam, Australian Senate President Sue Lines is scheduled to meet Party General Secretary, State President Tô Lâm and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, attend the Việt Nam – Australia Forum and visit a number of Vietnamese localities. VNS