Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie has said she is impressed and inspired by the “swift and decisive actions” taken by the Vietnamese government to tackle the threat of Covid-19.
| Minister for Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung discusses cooperation for Covid-19 recovery with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on June 5. Photo: Australian Embassy |
“With just a few hundred confirmed cases and no recorded deaths, Vietnam’s management of the pandemic has been exemplary, deservedly capturing the world’s attention,” Ambassador Mudie told Vietnam’s Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung at the meeting on June 5.
Australia is committed to supporting Vietnam’s long-term response and recovery, Mudie stated at the meeting.
Under a strategic partnership, Australia and Vietnam are working together to contain the impact of the pandemic on lives and livelihoods. The two countries recently reiterated their commitment to boosting two-way trade and investment, and to supporting one another to respond to the long-term effects of the pandemic.
Australia has committed AUD10.5 million toward supporting Vietnam’s Covid-19 response and recovery, in a step that further strengthens economic and development cooperation between the two countries.
“Australia has refocused much of our development program in Vietnam to respond to Covid-19. We are supporting Vietnam by ensuring access to the best available economic analysis as the country shifts its focus toward stimulus and recovery. We are also supporting Vietnam’s efforts to protect the most vulnerable, especially women and girls who carry much of the burden as a result of the pandemic.” Ambassador Mudie said.
In addition, the flagship programs through which Australia and Vietnam cooperate on workforce development, economic reform, infrastructure, gender equality, agriculture, tourism, and innovation are supporting Vietnam’s economic recovery priorities.
Across the Indo-Pacific region, Australia has undertaken an unprecedented pivot of its development partnerships to further support health security, economic recovery and stability in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian government’s new Partnerships for Recovery policy was launched by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne on May 29, 2020.
