Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (L) meets with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Sydney on April 26 (Photo: VNA)

Vice President Thinh said Vietnam always treasures and wants to strengthen relations with Australia, noting that the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership will create a foundation for their relations to grow more strongly.

Minister Bishop said Vietnam is one of the priorities in her country’s foreign policy. She applauded increased exchanges of high-level delegations, asking the two sides to promote bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the joint committee at the ministerial level.

She noted that Australia is always ready to cooperate to solve issues that could affect Vietnam and bilateral ties on the basis of Australia’s regulations and policies.

With regard to the East Sea issue, Minister Bishop affirmed that Australia always attaches importance to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight over the East Sea, as well as the settlement of sea-related disputes basing on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Also on Thursday Vice President Thinh received Governor of the Australian state of New South Wales David Hurley. She noted with satisfaction the cooperation between Vietnamese localities and New South Wales, especially in trade and investment.