General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (right) and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Tony Smith. (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) –Vietnam always attaches importance to the friendship and strategic partnershipwith Australia, Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party ofVietnam (CPV) Central Committee, told visiting Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Tony Smith.
During their meeting in Hanoi on July 23, the Party leader welcomed Smith’sofficial visit to Vietnam at a time when the two countries have agreed to lifttheir relationship to the status of strategic partnership.
Party General Secretary Trong noted with pleasure the fruitfuldevelopment of their bilateral ties across many fields, ranging from politicsto economy, national defence and security to education and training.
He thanked the Australian Government for their backing in Vietnam’s bidto run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, aswell as Australia’s coordination and support for Vietnam’s role in theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region.
Vietnam highly values Australia’s consistent stance on the East Seaissue, he said, urging the two sides to continue their close cooperation atmultilateral forums, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development inSoutheast Asia and the East Sea.
For his part, Smith expressed his positive impressions of the thrivingrelations between Vietnam and Australia over recent years, especially the twocountries’ efforts to elevate their relationship to the strategicpartnership.
The guest said he is impressed by Vietnam’s achievements, noting hisbelief that the legislative cooperation and people-to-people exchange betweenVietnam and Australia are solid evidence of the development of their bilateralties.
Smith also voiced his hope that his trip, as well as other recenthigh-level visits to Vietnam by Australian leaders, would help promote thestrategic partnership in the time ahead.
He affirmed that Australia’s consistent stance on the East Sea issue isclear and matches the stance and viewpoint of Vietnam. –VNA
VNA
