Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic relations, Hanoi, February 24, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing a ceremony marking 50 years of Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties in Hanoi on Friday, Minister Son noted that people-to-people exchanges will create a good premise for bilateral ties to grow further. 

“We are very proud of what we have achieved over the past 50 years. Vietnam and Australia have now become reliable partners bilaterally and multilaterally,” said Minister Son.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that Australia was one of the first foreign investors in Vietnam right after the Southeast Asian nation opened its economy in the 1980s, with the presence of the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), RMIT University, and Telstra - Australia's leading telecommunications and technology company.

He also highlighted fruitful cooperation between the two countries in education, national defence and security, agriculture, culture and tourism.

Two-way trade hit 15.7 billion USD last year, doubling the figure recorded before 2018.