The Australian Embassy delegation also included Ms. Sarah Hooper - Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Kayzad Namdarian - Economic Consul, Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Vu Ngoc Quyen - Senior Policy Officer, Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, and representatives of Australian businesses.

Australian Ambassador and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee exchanged views

Ms. Gillian Bird stated that this was her first visit to the Mekong Delta region, as well as Dong Thap, and thanked the provincial leaders for their warm welcome. Ms. Gillian Bird highly appreciated Dong Thap's strengths in agricultural production and its important role in supplying food to Viet Nam; at the same time, she shared some programs that the Australian Government is implementing in the Mekong Delta, related to activities supporting climate change adaptation; the Transforming Rice Value Chains in Response to Climate Change and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC) Project in Dong Thap province.

The Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam expressed her desire to promote cooperation in enhancing resilience and adaptability to climate change in the coming time, in line with the province's priorities; cooperate in human resource training in the agricultural sector; and connect businesses to explore investment opportunities in various fields in Dong Thap in the future.

In addition to highly agreeing with the ideas for future cooperation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Pham Thanh Ngai shared with the delegation many potentials and strengths of Dong Thap province, especially after the provincial merger, which has opened up new spaces and created more favorable conditions for socio-economic development.

Mr. Pham Thanh Ngai - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee presented a lotus flower painting to Ms. Gillian Bird - Australian Ambassador

Through this working visit, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee hoped that the connection between Dong Thap province and the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam, as well as the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, would continue to be strengthened and expanded; hoping that Ambassador Gillian Bird and Consul General Sarah Hooper would be important bridges, helping Australian partners come to our Dong Thap locality - a "destination" full of potential for cooperation and joint development, contributing to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The delegation took a souvenir photo with the leaders of Dong Thap province

Written by Nguyet Anh

Translated by Van Le Nguyen