At the meeting, Mr. Tat Thanh Cang highly appreciated projects funded by Australian Government from Australian ODA programs in the last 10 years. These projects have created a good impression in Vietnam, infrastructure projects funded by Australia have made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Vietnam.

Mr. Cang noted that with a population of 10 million and a focal point of export-import of the Mekong Delta, the South and the whole country, HCMC is an important market of Australia. On the framework of MOU on friendship and co-operation signed on February 2014, HCMC has strengthened co-operation relations with Northern Australia in particular and Australia in general Specifically HCMC has imported a large amount of cow breeding and beef, fruit, processed foods, etc, from Australia.

Mr. Can believed that Northern Australia will continue to strengthen co-operation with HCMC in the coming time in fields of livestock and related services, food processing, supporting industry to promote development of key economic sectors of HCMC such as electronic, chemical-rubber-plastic, pharmaceutical, food processing, fashion –footwear, mechanical manufacturing.

Mr. Willem Westra van Holthe stressed that the visit to HCMC aims to strengthen co-operation between Australia and Vietnam in general and Northern Australia with HCMC in particular. Mr. Willem Westra van Holthe added that there is now a large number of Vietnamese people living and working in Australia as well as many Vietnamese students in Australia, these people are contributing to the development of good relationship between both countries.

Economic co-operation between Vietnam and Australia is well developed. In 2014, 300,000 Australian tourists visited Vietnam. Vietnam is also a big importer of cow and beef from Australia. Mr. Willem Westra van Holthe said that Australian Government is attaching importance to Vietnamese partner and believed that both countries will further strengthen co-operation in many fields such as trade, tourism, education, agriculture, food processing, etc, in the future. He emphasized that Northern Australia hopes to strengthen co-operation with HCMC contributing to the enhancement of comprehensive co-operation relations between Australia and Vietnam.

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