Viet Nam always places importance on its ties with Australia and wants to boost their comprehensive partnership in a result-orientated manner.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was speaking at a reception for visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Ha Noi on February 18.

He suggested both sides conduct more visits to bolster cooperation, particularly in such fields as economics, trade, investment and tourism.

He also expressed his hope that Australia will continue providing assistance for Viet Nam in infrastructure building and education–training, as well as creating optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country.

Dung asked for more collaboration in defence–security and to soon complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations.

He suggested that Australia continues supporting ASEAN in implementing the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and in forming a Code of Conduct (COC) in the area, along with ensuring maritime security and safety there.

For her part, Julie Bishop said Australia wants to strengthen ties with Vietnam, adding she and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh held talks on measures to step up bilateral ties, especially in trade and investment, energy and mineral exploitation.

She added that her Government will increase scholarships for Vietnamese students and create best conditions for their studies in Australia.

Confirming its support to the maintenance of maritime security and safety in the East Sea, Bishop said Australia hopes to promote the affiliation with Viet Nam in security–defence, especially transnational crime prevention.

(Source: VNA/VOV online)