Australian Foreign Minister makes second Vietnam visit to boost ties

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has begun a three-day (August 22-24) Vietnam visit to further strengthen bilateral relations.

“This week I will visit Vietnam for the second time as Foreign Minister to further deepen Australia’s cooperation with a key Asean partner,” she said in a Monday statement.

“My visit is a clear statement of the Albanese Government’s priorities and an opportunity to further build on our work to shape the region we want.”

Earlier this year, Vietnam and Australia marked 50 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring the deep friendship and strategic trust between the two countries.

“Australia and Vietnam share a strategic partnership, a commitment to Asean centrality and an interest in maintaining a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where sovereignty is respected,” Wong said.

“During my visit to Hanoi, I will meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and other senior leaders to discuss a range of shared interests, including our economic and security ties,” she added.

Her working trip follows recent visits to Vietnam by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell.

She and her Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son will hold the fifth annual Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, where they will discuss regional priorities and how the two sides can expand cooperation in various fields including climate change, trade and investment, education, and digital delivery of government services.

Wong will also visit Ho Chi Minh City for the first time as Foreign Minister.

“I will meet with Australians of Vietnamese heritage who are driving our economic cooperation” in the southern megacity, she said.