During the Special ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit on the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Relations and the official visit to Australia by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 5th, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held bilateral talks with Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held bilateral talks with Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. Photo: MOIT
|
During the meeting, the two ministers shared that both countries have great potential for cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in renewable energy.
Minister Chris Bowen shared information on the role of offshore wind, Australia’s strength in supplying various fuels such as coal, gas, and LNG for electricity production, and emphasized the new cooperation targets of the two countries towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.
Minister Nguyen Hong Dien praised Australia’s warm reception and the interest of Australian businesses in the Vietnamese market, which was demonstrated through the Business Forum held on the same day. Minister Dien highlighted Vietnam’s strengths in terms of population, high energy demand, and natural advantages for solar and wind energy production. These present attractive investment opportunities for Australian enterprises in the energy sector.
Minister Nguyen Hong Dien expressed his hope that Australia will cooperate with Vietnam in the exploration and processing of minerals, investment in production, and human resource training in the renewable energy sector.
Enhancing cooperation in renewable energy
With Australia’s strengths in finance, technology, and experience in this field, Vietnam hopes that Australia will cooperate in the exploration and processing of minerals, investment in production, and human resource training in the renewable energy sector, with the aim of mutual benefit and supporting Vietnam in achieving its energy transition and Net Zero goals by 2050.
At the end of the meeting, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that the Memorandum of Understanding establishing a ministerial-level dialogue mechanism on energy and minerals, which was signed and exchanged in the presence of the two Prime Ministers, will be an important cooperation mechanism in the energy sector.
With this mechanism, both sides will have more opportunities for exchange and stronger cooperation in the energy and minerals sectors. It also provides a basis for Australia to continue being a strategic partner in supplying important and sustainable resources such as coal and LNG for electricity, energy, and fertilizer production in Vietnam.
The Special ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit, marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia relations, is being held in Melbourne, Australia from March 5th to 6th, with the attendance of leaders from ASEAN countries, Australia, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN. The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste was invited to attend the conference as an observer.
The summit, themed “Partnership for the Future,” is taking place in the context of dynamic cooperation between ASEAN and Australia in various fields. It provides an opportunity for both sides to review the past 50 years of relations and exchange measures to promote substantive, effective, and comprehensive cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2021.
As part of the summit, on the morning of March 5, 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Vietnam-Australia Business Forum. In his speech at the forum, the Prime Minister announced with pleasure that in this visit, the two sides are expected to declare an upgraded bilateral relationship that will further deepen, substantively, and effectively expand.
The Prime Minister expressed his aspirations and expectations for “5 more” in the upgraded relationship: better political trust, higher economic, trade, and investment cooperation; stronger scientific, technological, and innovative cooperation; enhanced educational and training cooperation, cultural exchange, and people-to-people exchange; and increased tourism and labor cooperation.
The Prime Minister affirmed that the governments of both countries will continue to create favorable conditions for this cooperation. The Vietnamese government will protect the legitimate rights and interests of businesses and investors, promote the three strategic breakthroughs (institutional, infrastructural, and human resources), reform and simplify administrative procedures, and reduce costs for investors. The Prime Minister suggested that Australia support Vietnam in the aforementioned three strategic breakthroughs.
