Vietnamese Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Australian Deputy PM cum Treasurer of Australia Wayne Swan (Photo: www.chinhphu.vn)

Vietnam and Australia have agreed on measures to strengthen bilateral ties in a substantial and efficient manner, especially through visit exchanges. The agreement was reached during talks on Wednesday between Australian Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan and his visiting Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc.  They vowed to realise the Vietnam-Australia action program for the 2010-2013 period on schedule and successfully organise the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. Swan, who is also Treasurer of Australia, said Australia will consider Vietnam’s proposal concerning the opening of a direct air route between Sydney and Hanoi to develop tourism.  Both leaders affirmed that the two countries will work closely at multilateral cooperation forums and support each other’s bids to join regional and international organisations, including United Nations agencies. The representatives of the Vietnamese and Australian Governments placed high importance on ensuring peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of maritime activities in the East Sea, and held that all disputes between concerned parties should be resolved through peaceful means in respect for international laws, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.