Sydney (VNA) –♊ President of Vanuatu Nikenike Vurobaravu has expressed his hope for stronger bilateral cooperation in key sectors while hosting a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia and Vanuatu Pham Hung Tam, who presented his credentials at the Presidential Palace in Port Vila on May 6.

Congratulating Tam on his appointment, President Vurobaravu recalled the historical ties between the two nations, which date back to the 1920s when the first Vietnamese migrants arrived in Vanuatu - then known to them as the “New Hebrides.” He expressed his confidence that cooperation would continue to grow in areas such as agriculture, trade, education, climate change adaptation, and cultural exchange. The President also recognised the Vietnamese community’s contributions to Vanuatu's development and the friendship between the two nations. On this occasion, Tam also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Jotham Napat and held meetings with ministers responsible for agriculture, forestry and biosecurity; fisheries, oceans and maritime affairs; infrastructure development; and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade. PM Napat extended greetings to Vietnamese leaders and commended the development of the bilateral ties. He expressed his desire to visit Vietnam at a convenient time to further advance cooperation, particularly in agriculture, fisheries, maritime affairs, aquaculture, and education. He also proposed enhancing tourism and people-to-people exchanges, and called for negotiations on a bilateral visa exemption agreement. Vanuatu’s ministers affirmed their commitments to working closely with Vietnamese counterparts and the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia to realise the directions set by the President and Prime Minister. They pledged to effectively implement the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on technical cooperation and development, signed during the official visit of Prime Minister Joe Natuman to Vietnam. They also agreed to accelerate talks on a fishery cooperation MoU and the establishment of a hotline to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. A separate agricultural agreement was proposed to boost collaboration in aquaculture, seafood processing, and agricultural research. For his part, Tam reaffirmed Vietnam’s appreciation for the traditional friendship between the two countries and noted the growing closeness of the bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1982, particularly following the visit to Vietnam by PM Natuman in 2014. He called for expanding cooperation in agriculture, fishery, trade, education, and tourism, and welcomed recent progress in education links, including visits by senior Vanuatu education officials to Vietnam and the signing of multiple agreements with Vietnamese universities. The Ambassador also proposed the two sides explore cooperation opportunities in seafood processing, healthcare, solar energy, climate change mitigation, and trilateral cooperation in infrastructure and agricultural research. He encouraged continued coordination at regional and international forums, and called for Vanuatu’s support for Vietnam’s candidate running for the position of judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and help Vietnam to become a full member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). During his visit, Tam also met with the Vietnamese community in Vanuatu, praising their role in promoting friendship and people-to-people ties and their contributions to bilateral cooperation. He encouraged them to stay united, support one another, respect local laws and customs, and maintain strong bonds with their homeland./