HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội sees Australia as an important and potential partner and always pays attention to promoting cooperation with the country.
That was the message Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Đinh Tiến Dũng told Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam Robyn Mudie on Wednesday.
However, economic cooperation is still modest, with shipments to Australia only accounting for about 2 per cent of Hà Nội's exports, and the nation’s direct investment in the city only reaching US$500 million.
Dũng proposed the two countries further promote collaboration, especially in cultural exchanges, tourism, education, smart city building, and high-tech agriculture, given that Australia has strengths in capital, management experience, and scientific and technological capacity while Hà Nội has potential for quality labour and is a large market with a stable growth rate.
Agreeing that there is great potential for economic cooperation, Ambassador Mudie said that this is also a priority of the Australian Government.
She said the fields Australian investors are currently interested in can suit Hà Nội's needs, including agriculture, education, energy, services, and digital economy.
She affirmed that Australia is willing to meet Hà Nội's needs and will always encourage its businesses to provide the city with quality and effective capital.
Appreciating Việt Nam's commitments to climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26), Ambassador Robyn Mudie said that Australia, which is developing many related solutions, can also cooperate with Việt Nam in this field.
Thanking the diplomat for her ideas, the Hà Nội leader expressed his wish that the Ambassador will continue popularising the images of Việt Nam and Hà Nội in particular to Australian friends and the international community. — VNS