Hanoi (VNA) –✅ Vietnamese Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh held a working session in Hanoi on August 1 with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird to discuss ways to foster comprehensive and effective cooperation in infrastructure development.

Bird stressed Australia’s desire to deepen ties with ASEAN nations, naming Vietnam as a key priority. She expressed her hope that Vietnam would continue to see Australia as a trusted and long-term partner, particularly in economy and trade, including infrastructure projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction (MoC). Australia will provide an estimated 90 million AUD in official development assistance for Vietnam under the Australia–Vietnam Partnership for Economic Growth (Aus4Growth), with transport infrastructure as a priority area, she said, asking the MoC to provide updates on areas where Australia could provide support, especially in aviation and railway projects. Minh, for his part, highlighted the steady growth in Vietnam-Australia relations since their diplomatic ties were established in 1973, culminating in the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024, a milestone that opened up vast opportunities for development cooperation. He hailed Australia as the biggest provider of non-refundable aid for Vietnam's transport sector. Two flagship projects, My Thuan bridge, completed in 2000 and Cao Lanh bridge, finished in 2018, have improved connectivity and spurred socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta. Between 2017 and June 2024, Australia also funded 30 million USD to a technical assistance programme benefiting Vietnam’s transport sector, helping accelerate infrastructure upgrades, he said. Welcoming the inclusion of transport as a priority in the Aus4Growth, he confirmed that the ministry had tasked relevant departments with preparing proposals focusing on digital transformation, logistics, sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure, green transport, institutional reforms and capacity building for ministry staff, affiliates, and relevant firms. The ministry is finalising nine proposed activities to be submitted to the Australian Embassy for consideration, he added. On aviation cooperation, Minh referenced the 1995 Vietnam-Australia Air Services Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2023, which have enabled direct flights between the two countries. Currently, Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Jetstar Airways are operating these routes, serving around 700,000 passengers and handling 17 million tonnes of cargo in the first half of this year. The minister said both countries have completed internal procedures and stay ready to sign a protocol revising the bilateral air services agreement. He suggested stepping up the signing of the protocol and expanding direct flights to new Vietnamese destinations, such as Long Thanh International Airport. Regarding railway cooperation, Minh also updated the Ambassador on the North-South high-speed railway and the Vientiane - Vung Ang railway./.