General Secretary To Lam received new Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird on June 26, 2025 (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

Welcoming the new Ambassador, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Australia is one of Vietnam’s leading Comprehensive Strategic Partners in the region. He expressed hope that the Ambassador would actively promote bilateral cooperation in multiple areas including strengthening political and diplomatic ties; enhancing economic connectivity to raise bilateral trade to 20 billion USD and doubling mutual investment.

He urged for deepening security and defense cooperation and promoting collaboration in education and training, science and technology, climate change, environment, and energy.

For her part, Ambassador Gillian Bird expressed her admiration for Vietnam’s ongoing institutional reforms and efforts to streamline central and local apparatus to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

She affirmed that the Australian Government considers Vietnam one of its key partners in the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, and encouraged Australian businesses to increase their investments in Vietnam.