PRIME MINISTER
10PM ( AEST)
SPR INY " I'f-PRTUR UIHISTXKR.-IHWXj~~ PZ MY=. Za! G, 11P
UMM'DDIM~ 1 flfll fM BY 9 K Ii YO vu! MET; ? RM
K1XESTMR OF TE SOCIIST REUBLIC OF V137MM AND: MDAUM,
HANI, fl APRL 1994
it is a very great. pleasxmre for me to be in Hanoi And a very great pleasure to see you again, Mr Prime Minister, after your welcome visit to Australia last year.
We live in a time of great change in Southeast Asia
In Laosand Thailand I have just ssen for myself the wswya in which economic dynamism nad a new openess between the countries of the region are creating an era of unprecedented opportunity.
Opprttmity. for growth and for peaceful regional cooperation.
Australia is: pleased to be a. part of these davelopments,, as we are pleased to be part of the changes in Vietnam .
Mr Prime Minister.
In tfl. short time. I niave bleen in 11anoi I have bee-n able
to-tte for mysei~ f something of the impa ct of -Your
Coveruext's Do -i Noi OCOnomic reform program-
Yvu. policy, comzbinad with the ckill and anterprise nf
tbco* Vietnamace peoplp, have c'. een youir economiy gro. by.
mnre than a-per cant last -year, and-. your exports grow by
16. in-vCent in 1992.
WP weicome your closer enqLñ i. eu& t with the countries of
Lhe region through participation in the ASP-AS Reqi.. Ons I
gorm, and we look forwarti to your even J~ il. Uean. esi
ASEAN and AVEiC.
Mr Prizme Minister, AustraLia, too, h2as undtmyuui= an
economic revol ution. We have omened our induztry to
vvmvetition and our cconomy to the world.-
It h as been. a difficult task. But, like you, we... know the
rewards -wi11l be innense.
Lke-V! etnai r. Atist~ lia is. als; o sekn lsrLn with--
-our.-reigion niot: only economically,, but. cultur-ally
politic* ly . and st3rategically. as well.
These parallel interests between our two countries are
creating extraordinary-new opportunities for U.
-Traie* b4tiween: A ustralia and* Vietnam in 19.92 was $ 2
million. In 1993" it was $ 366 million.*
Anstr-alia is now Vietnais th ird largest foreign
investor, -with:-nearly $ 800o million invested here.
The companies involved axre some of Australia's largest.,
like BNP, -Telstra-and the ANZ' B! ank, as wel1 l as s,. iqIa Or,
-innovativecopne which have seen the great' potential
We are ajlso developing new avenues for cooperation . on.
reg~ ional issues;-
Our common membership of the ASEMN Regional'Forum. will
enable -us to -* contibute Ito -the. development : of ad -more
secure -and-peaceful. neighbourhood
MN Vitn. can count on-warmI zupport fZQLg1 AUW= 1i4 4*
you m6ve-towards greater involvement in regional
organisations.. Bilaterally,, our two countries are finding new:
opportuni-ties-: to work-together.
I was . very. p leased that we have reached agreement on the
details of: the. parliamentary Consultative Delegatidn
which you. proposed -when -you were in Austral ia, -and., which.
will. visit vi~ tnamn in July.
I was also pleased to be able to tell1 you today, M4r Prime
minister, that. Australia. will double its * aid to more than
a-new four-year aid-prograLm, waih, -we
hope will cover areas such as education, . health,
Infrastructure and commerical and administrative law.
we have developed valuable people-to-people contacts in
recent year, and I am sure that in time the web of
contact will be greatly str-engthened by the presence in
Astralia of! a large, hardworking Vietnamese population.
Hr Prime-Minister our friendship is not'. new
Australia -was one of the first Western countries to
recognise the Socialist Republic of Vietnam more than
And, tbc fir_-t tc_. Z = G .1i aj~'~ L LLL GJ~ LJU.. LG
W. 6 have a. good deal.. in. commoll.
Austrañ 3Jdus. bold ! Me qualities ot rei1 nri andaptzbility
. in high esteem. dua~ L the Vietnamese
peOPlA'we se them in abundance.
Bacaue-iWe ehere the view that. econuiu development..
. shnxld-b Iataaed with care f or the p 1--our. -economic-
, reforms tiave. been accompanied ny programs. whi ch;
taith. f= l to o= traditions of social nsceio
and hIrMonY..
* Prime Miiater
I am* tihe first Austzalian 2rime minister t o vi ! ni r. Rarni
But I* will. not be the last.
Ouzr common interests, the opportunities wflich lie ahtad
of u. and theunderztonding which iz developing -; betiaeean
un-wi1l1 akb -sure of that-
Thank you ' again for your wmrm hospitality.
I would like to propose a toast to tile health of HE President Le Duc Anh, the health of HE Prime MInister Vo VAn Kiet and MAdama, the happiness and prosperity of the people of Vietnam the further development . of relations
between Australia and Vietnam, and the health of all present at the banquet.