Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said he wants Vietnam and Australia to make greater efforts to lift their cooperative ties to a new height for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

Speaking at an August 29 reception in Hanoi for Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith, PM Dung highly valued the outcomes of the talks between the defence ministers of Vietnam and Australia and close cooperation between the two ministries.

He said the visit will contribute to promoting multifaceted bilateral cooperation.

The Vietnamese-Australian partnership is developing in politics, diplomacy, economics, military, education, science-technology and culture, said the PM, adding that both sides have coordinated and supported each other at international and regional forums.

He asked the two sides to work closely in organising activities to celebrate the two countries’ diplomatic ties in 2013.

Regarding defence cooperation, the government leader proposed both sides actively implement their agreements, particularly those reached at the talks between Ministers Phung Quang Thanh and Stephen Smith during the visit.

Minister Smith said his current visit aims to further enhance cooperation with Vietnam.

Highlighting the effective cooperation in various aspects, especially in peace keeping and training, Smith said the Australian Defence Ministry will closely work with its Vietnamese counterpart to implement their cooperation agreements on defence.

He expressed hopes that the Vietnamese Government would always support the two ministries in cooperative activities to further their ties in an in-depth and effective manner, thus positively elevating the two countries’ wide-ranging cooperation.

(VOV)