Vietnam PM begins official visit to Australia
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse landed at Fairbairn Airport in Canberra today to begin their official visit to Australia.
As scheduled, Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull will lead the official reception ceremony for Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse on the morning of March 15. The two officials will then hold talks and witness the inking ceremony of bilateral cooperation agreements.
 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse. Photo: VNA
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Accordingly, Australia and Vietnam will formally sign a strategic partnership agreement during the visit, which will upgrade diplomatic, defense and trade ties, according to an interview PM Phuc granted to the Fairfax Media ahead of the trip.
Diplomats believe the signing will mark a new milestone in Vietnam-Australia ties. “It codifies and takes further what has been a close friendship and cooperation between the two countries. It also reflects that Vietnam and Australia are strong and committed partners to each other. More importantly, it will be a blueprint and an outline for our partnership in the years to come”, according to Ngo Huong Nam, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia.
Established in 1973, the ties between Vietnam and Australia have witnessed significant developments, especially since the two countries exalted their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2009 and signed a declaration on enhancing the Australia-Vietnam comprehensive partnership in 2015. Two-way trade has increased more than two-hundred-fold over two decades, from US$32.3 million in 1990 to US$6.46 billion in 2017.
