Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai of the Centre for Policy Futures, the University of Queensland, made the statement on the occasion of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to Vietnam this weekend.

Hai said since the two became strategic partners in 2018, Vietnam and Australia gained impressive outcomes in economy, trade and investment; education and training; both in defense and security.

Australia is Vietnam’s 7th largest trading partner and Vietnam is the 10^th  largest trading partner of Australia  with last year’s two-way trade turnover reaching 16 billion USD and 3.4 billion USD in the first quarter of this year.

Australia has emerged as one of the top foreign education markets which attracts the largest number of Vietnamese students. As of December 2022, more than 22,000 Vietnamese students were studying at different education institutions across Australia, accounting for 4% of international students and making Vietnam one of the top five countries with the most international student visa holders in Australia.

Cooperation in both defence and security has moved quickly. In 2012, the two countries elevated the dialogue on Regional Security to the Vietnam-Australian Strategic Diplomatic-Defence Dialogue at the vice-ministerial level (known as the 2+2 Dialogue).

Since 2013, defence ministers of the two countries have held annual dialogues  and signed the Joint Vision Statement on Further Defence Cooperation in 2018, which emphasizes on the expansion of maritime cooperation and peacekeeping activities.

Dr. Hai said increasing exchanges of culture and peoples will deepen the friendship between Vietnam and Australia.