Melbourne (VNA) – National AssemblyChairman Vuong Dinh Hue was busy with a series of activities in Melbourne on December 2-3 as part of his official ಌvisit to Australia.

Attending a Vietnam-Australiaeconomic cooperation forum on December 2 afternoon (local time), Hue waswelcomed by Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp and Victoria's Commissioner to Southeast Asia Rebecca Hall. Apart from agricultural cooperation,Hall said Australian enterprises are interested in various fields in Vietnam such as health care, maternaland baby care, and preschool education in Vietnam. As of November 2022, Vietnam attracted 36,109projects worth 437.52 billion USD from 141 countries and territories, heard the forum. At the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister ofPlanning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong and Deputy Minister of Industry andTrade Tran Quoc Khanh called for Australia’s increased investment in Vietnam inworkforce training, digital transformation and hi-tech agriculture. They saidVietnam also encourages its firms to expand operations in Australia in linewith the two countries’ laws. Khanh said the Vietnamese Government isoffering incentives in the spheres of agriculture, education and logistics, especially amidthe fourth industrial revolution. Hue hoped that more Australianenterprises will come to Vietnam to seek business opportunities. The two governments andlegislatures will create favourable frameworks, policies and mechanisms tosupport businesses, he asserted. At the event, a number ofmemoranda of understanding were signed. In particular, a leader of RMITUniversity – the biggest foreign investor in education in Vietnam, announced todouble its investment in the country early next year. Receiving CEO of Asia Society Australia PhilippIvanov and three businesspeople joining the Vietnam-Australia BusinessChampions Initiative in Melbourne in the afternoon of December 2, Hue expressed his readiness tolisten to feedback from entrepreneurs and business associations to create thebest business environment. He suggested holding moretrips to Vietnam for businesspeople to learn about the business environment and cooperationopportunities under the Initiative. Stressing that Vietnam is attractive to foreign investors, not just for Australia, the businesspeople vowed to do better toencourage more investment in the country and offer practical recommendations tothe two governments to boost bilateral ties. In a reception for Treasurerof Victoria Tim Pallas and representatives of Linfox logistics provider onDecember 3, the top Vietnamese leader hailed Victoria for opening a trade andinvestment office in Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to reinforcingeconomic-trade-investment ties between the two localities and the two countries as well. Speaking highly of Linfox’sinvestment in aviation logistics services in Vietnam, Hue wished that Linfoxwould enhance workforce training and cooperate in a direct flight servicelinking Vietnam and Victoria state. Receiving CallumFraser, founder of Elenberg Fraser and Phil Burns, President of Sinclair Brook on the same day, Hue highlighted Vietnam’s potential in real estate, tourism,entertainment, services and information technology. With their strengths indesign consultancy and real estate management, he asked them to partner withVietnam in building smart cities. The Australian executives hoped to receive further support to learn about opportunities and seekpartners in Vietnam. Before leaving Melbourne for his official visit to New Zealand, Hue visited Swinburne University where he worked with its leaders and talked with Vietnamese students who are studying and conducting research here./.