Source : Perth Now news
Vietnam’s president is set to visit Australia for the first time.
The Communist Party leader, To Lam, will travel to Australia for a four-day visit from Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.
“I look forward to welcoming General Secretary and President To Lam to Australia and discussing how we can strengthen co-operation between our two nations,” the prime minister said in a statement. “The Vietnam-Australia relationship is grounded in deep strategic trust, mutual interests, and a shared ambition for the future of our region.”
Official trade talks will occur when Mr Lam arrives in Canberra on Tuesday.
It could also be the first time Australia’s census shows leaders from two countries in its results.
Mr Lam’s visit to the capital coincides with census night and he will be required to take part.
It is compulsory by law for everyone, including international visitors, migrants, refugees and people on temporary visas, to complete the census form.
Previous results from the survey have identified the strong presence of Vietnam’s diaspora in Australia.
“Our two nations share deep cultural ties and around 350,000 Australians have Vietnamese heritage,” Mr Albanese said.
The visit follows the federal government signing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam in March 2024 as part of a push to deepen ties in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The diplomatic agreement expanded Australian-Vietnamese ties in areas such as defence and security, economic engagement, education, energy co-operation, innovation and digital transformation.
Two months after the agreement was signed, Mr Lam took office in Hanoi and has continued his country’s international trade efforts.
In February, he visited Washington DC to meet with Donald Trump as a founding member of the US president’s Board of Peace, tasked with overseeing peace strategies to end the Israel-Gaza War.
Mr Lam will also travel to New Zealand to meet with its Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
“Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and an increasingly significant partner for New Zealand,” Mr Luxon said.
“We want to build on that growth across food and fibre, education, tourism, technology, aviation and investment.”
Mr Lam will arrive in Auckland on Wednesday.
