Sydney (VNA) – Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has grantedan interview to Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Sydney on the occasionof her visit to Vietnam from May 26-28.

The following is the full text of the interview:

Q1: Vietnam and Australia have officially upgradedtheir relationship to “Strategic Partner” in March 2018 during the visit of ourPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Australia and this week, Vietnam welcomedthe official visit made by His Excellency General the Honourable Sir PeterCosgrove and Her Excellency Lady Cosgrove. What do you think about thedevelopment of cooperation between two countries?
 
I am delighted to be visiting Vietnam during the 45th anniversary year ofdiplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam, for my third visit asForeign Minister.
 
This busy schedule of high-level bilateral visits reflects the recent elevationof the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, signed during PrimeMinister Phuc’s guest-of-government visit to Australia in March. This means ourtwo nations have recognised and laid the foundation for an ever-strongerpartnership.
 
During this visit I will co-chair the inaugural Foreign Ministers’ Meeting withDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Minh. Over the coming years, thismeeting will provide a regular opportunity to discuss a range of strategicissues and new areas of collaboration.
 
Australia’s deep engagement with Vietnam is also shown by our history ofsupport for Vietnam’s economic development. During my visit, I will beparticipating in the opening ceremony of the Cao Lanh Bridge in the Mekongdelta, for which Australia provided A$160 million, which is our largest singleaid activity in mainland Southeast Asia. The bridge will create new economicopportunities for the five million people living in the surrounding area byreducing travel times and making it easier for people to access markets -travel time between Ho Chi Minh City and Long Xuyen will be deduced from fourto two and a half hours.
 
Australia and Vietnam’s relationship is underpinned by strong people-to-peoplelinks, with around 300,000 Australians of Vietnamese descent in Australia,creating personal and business links with Vietnam. I am looking forward tomeeting dynamic Australian-Vietnamese business leaders, entrepreneurs andinfluences to hear how they are building their own bridges between ourcountries.
 
Q2: Australia and Vietnam haveestablished cooperative relations in many areas such as trade, security,national defence, science and technology, education and tourism... what areasof cooperation should be prioritised and what initiatives should be put inplace so bilateral cooperation can continue to contribute effectively to thedevelopment of each country as well as to peace, security and stability in theregion?
 
The Strategic Partnership establishes a new bilateral ministerial-levelarchitecture which reflects the contemporary and dynamic relationship betweenour two countries. This provides for a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, DefenceMinisters’ Meeting, and Economic Partnership Meeting. These ministerial-levelmeetings will provide direction for increased engagement across the breadth ofthe relationship, including on defence and security, law enforcement, trade,investment, development cooperation, science and technology, innovation,education, tourism and business links. This cooperation will be the foundationfor strong economic growth, peace, security and stability in the region.

Q3: What do you think about thecooperation and coordination between Vietnam and Australia in regional andinternational forums?
 
Australia is a close long-term partner for Vietnam and we have convergingregional interests on a range of issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The EastAsia Summit and other ASEAN-centred regional organisations like the ASEANRegional Forum have a critical role to play to ensure the Indo-Pacific remainsopen, secure, inclusive and prosperous. Australia demonstrated its commitmentto a strong and resilient region, and to ASEAN centrality, by holding the firstASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney in March this year.
 
Thank you very much.-VNA