Australia’s Governor-General arrives in Hanoi, 1st foreign guest of Vietnam’s President

Honourable David John Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, is on a state visit to Vietnam on April 3 at the invitation of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. 

Australia's Governor-General David Hurley arrives in Hanoi on April 3 for the four-day visit to Vietnam. Photos: VNA

The Governor-General becomes the first foreign guest of Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong since his inauguration last month and the first foreign leader to visit paid Vietnam in 2023.

The visit marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Australia (1973-2023) and the 5th anniversary of the strategic partnership (2018-2023).

During his visit, David John Hurley will meet with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The Governor-General will take part in a number of activities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in recognition and celebration of the strong ties between Australia and Vietnam in terms of trade, culture, and interpersonal relations.

Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu shakes hands with Australia's Governor-General David Hurley at the airport.

Implications of the visit

Commenting on the visit, Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai, Honorary Research Fellow at the Center for Policy Futures, the University of Queensland, Australia, said the visit has a variety of goals and implications giving new impetus to bilateral relations. It would be a factor to upgrade the relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year.

Hai said this means that Vietnam plays a unique role in Australia's relations with Southeast Asia. According to former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who visited Vietnam in 2019, Australia has viewed Vietnam as a "close friend" and supports its stance on many regional issues.

Australian Governor-General David Hurley's trip to Vietnam is an example of a practical example of this important and significant turning point in the two nations' diplomatic relations.

In addition, the visit confirmed the continued development of high-level meetings and contacts, which have strengthened the political trust between the two nations—a point of agreement among their senior leaders. One of the components and pillars of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Australia is the consolidation of political trust.

Along with economic, commercial, cultural, educational, and artistic activities, the visit enhances people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Australia. The message of Governor-General David Hurley's visit is not only to improve ties between the two nations but also to promote unity between the two peoples. He is expected to participate in a variety of events and people-to-people exchanges during his visit.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai expressed his belief that the visit would be a boost to stronger cooperation between the two countries.

Apart from economic and people-to-people links, cooperation in security and defense will be encouraged and implemented, and Vietnam will continue to receive assistance from Australia for the deployment of peacekeeping forces. More importantly, the two nations will seek to broaden their current level of cooperation in response to changing and challenging security circumstances in the region and around the globe.

Cooperation will also be promoted and strengthened in new areas related to innovation, the fight against climate change, the transition to a more sustainable energy source, and the green economy.

Finally, as the relationship between the two countries becomes closer, visits by senior leaders will instill excitement and pride in the Vietnamese community in Australia. This will serve as the inspiration for the Vietnamese community in Australia to turn to the Fatherland and make a real contribution to its growth, Dr. Hai emphasized.