Dong Thap Leaders Receive, Work with Australian Embassy Delegation
(DTO) On March 11, Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee, received and worked with a delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam led by Ms. Gillian Bird, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Australia to Vietnam.
Joining the delegation were Ms. Sarah Hopper, Australian Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City, and other members of the delegation.
During the session, the provincial leaders provided information on the cooperation between the locality and Australia in recent years. In 2025, Dong Thap's export turnover to the Australian market was estimated at 102.56 million USD, featuring key commodities such as seafood, footwear, metals, rice, plastic products, textiles, shrimp chips, and cereal products.
Import turnover from Australia reached an estimated 111.81 million USD, primarily consisting of copper raw materials, animal feed, and raw materials for footwear production.
Agricultural cooperation between Dong Thap and Australian partners continues to strengthen, highlighted by the "Transforming Rice Value Chains for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC)" project. Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the project contributes to promoting low-emission rice cultivation and climate change adaptation.
Furthermore, both sides exchanged views and discussed cooperation potential for the future, focusing on high-tech agriculture, deep processing of agricultural and aquatic products, logistics development for export, post-harvest technology transfer, climate-resilient agriculture, trade promotion, and business networking.
Representing the delegation, Ms. Gillian Bird expressed her pleasure in visiting and working in Dong Thap. She highly appreciated the locality's potential and strengths, particularly in agriculture, agricultural processing, and sustainable development.
Ms. Gillian Bird stated that Australia consistently values its cooperative relationship with Vietnam, including localities in the Mekong Delta in general and Dong Thap in particular.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai emphasized that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Australia have built a solid and comprehensive relationship based on strategic trust and mutual understanding.
Notably, the decision to upgrade bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on March 7, 2024, reflects high expectations for the deepening cooperation between the two nations.
In this context, the partnership between Dong Thap Province and Australian partners has achieved many positive results across trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, and development assistance.
The Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee expressed his hope that the Australian Embassy and the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City would continue to serve as a bridge, introducing Australian enterprises and organizations to explore investment and cooperation opportunities in the locality.
By H. THONG
Translated by X.QUANG
