Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held phone talks with Australian ForeignMinister Marise Payne on April 16 to look into bilateral and regionalcooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s complex developments.
Deputy PM Minh highlighted Vietnam and ASEAN’sefforts in response to the outbreak, emphasising the importance of regional andinternational cooperation in this regard, including collaboration between ASEANand Australia.
Applauding the two countries’ frequent andeffective contact at all levels amid the pandemic, he asked both sides to continuewith efforts to promote cooperation in all spheres via existing mechanisms soas to sustain the development of the strategic partnership.
For her part, Minister Payne spoke highly ofVietnam’s initiatives and leadership as ASEAN Chair in 2020.
She affirmed that Australia wishes to work moreclosely with Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19 within both bilateral andASEAN-Australia partnership frameworks.
The minister also appreciated the VietnameseGovernment’s effective medical and consular support for Australian citizensaffected by the pandemic, and said her country’s Department of Foreign Affairsand Trade will coordinate with the Department of Education and other relevantagencies to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese students inAustralia.
The two officials agreed to increase the sharingof information on and experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, includingthe possibility of cooperating to develop vaccines or produce and trade medicalsupplies.
They also agreed to organise an annual meetingbetween the two foreign ministers, slated for the third quarter of 2020, inAustralia or online to discuss measures to enhance the strategicpartnership.
The meeting would focus on bilateral ties inhealth care, food security, mitigating the outbreak’s socioeconomic impact, and therecovery of trade and tourism and other aspects once the pandemic is over.
Vietnam and Australia will bolster coordinationand mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly UN and ASEAN-ledmechanisms, in terms of regional and international issues of common concern,including the maintenance of peace, stability and security in the East Sea onthe basis of international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law ofthe Sea, according to the two officials./.
VNA
