Top Vietnamese Leader to Visit Australia and New Zealand, Marking Historic Milestone for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

The top Vietnamese leader is set to pay State Visits to Australia and New Zealand from August 9–14, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday. The visit carries special significance as it takes place at a time when bilateral relations are entering a new phase following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024. Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam said the visit is expected to open up new opportunities to further advance bilateral relations in a more comprehensive, substantive and effective manner. This is the first State visit to Australia by a Vietnamese President, thus it represents a historic milestone, reflecting the strategic vision, political resolve and growing mutual confidence between the two countries' leaders and peoples. It also creates new opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation across all areas, he noted. The visit will focus on further strengthening political trust at the highest level while promoting the effective implementation of the agreements and commitments reached under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The visit will also provide an opportunity for the two countries' leaders to hold in-depth discussions on long-term strategic directions to expand cooperation in areas of great potential and strategic importance like economy, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, education and training, defense, security and people-to-people exchanges. The visit is significant not only for the bilateral relations but also for the multilateral aspect as it conveys a shared commitment to contributing to peace, stability and development in the Indo-Pacific, emphasized the diplomat. As countries with important positions in the region, Viet Nam and Australia share an interest in maintaining a peaceful, stable and rules-based regional order. Both sides support the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law. The visit also provides an opportunity for both countries to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism, enhance coordination within regional and international mechanisms, and contribute more actively to addressing common challenges, promoting cooperation and building trust among nations, told the diplomat. About two years after the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was established, Viet Nam–Australia relations have continued to develop strongly, substantively and comprehensively across multiple fields. About 96 percent of the items under the 2024–2027 action plan have either been completed or are being implemented on schedule, indicating the strong political commitment and effective coordination between the two sides. Economic cooperation continues to stand out as a key highlight. In the first six months of 2026, the two-way trade reached US$8.1 billion, up nearly 22 percent year-on-year. Viet Nam's exports to Australia totaled US$3.8 billion, an increase of more than 25 percent. Australia is now among Viet Nam's top 10 partners in trade, tourism and official development assistance (ODA), underscoring the increasingly complementary nature of the two economies. Regarding defense and security cooperation, the inaugural Viet Nam–Australia Ministerial Security Dialogue held in Canberra, together with the Viet Nam People's Navy's first participation in Exercise Kakadu in 2024, marked important milestones and laid the groundwork for more substantive cooperation in this field. The most notable development in Viet Nam–Australia relations lies not only in their expansion across multiple sectors but also in a qualitative transformation—from broad-based cooperation to a deep partnership founded on mutual trust, shared strategic interests and a long-term vision, stated the Ambassador. Looking ahead, the diplomat expressed confidence that the Vietnamese leader's visit will inject new impetus for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to enter a more dynamic phase of development./. Source: Bao Chinh Phu