Ho Chi Minh City, Victoria strengthen partnership in education, finance, infrastructure

During the meeting, both sides praised the positive results of past collaboration, particularly in education and high-quality human resource training, as well as frequent delegation exchanges and cultural programs.

Building on the Vietnam-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership established in March 2024, the city and state leaders explored new cooperation directions suited to each side’s strengths and development priorities.

They agreed to work together to translate proposals into concrete projects in key areas such as financial center development, high-quality human resource training, scientific research and technology, port management, mineral exploitation, and transport infrastructure.

Duoc expressed appreciation for Victoria’s support and encouraged Australian businesses to invest in the Ho Chi Minh City International Financial Center, set to launch next month.

Pearson affirmed that choosing Ho Chi Minh City as the first destination of his working trip underscored Victoria’s strong commitment to strengthening ties.

“I’m delighted by the chairman’s interesting and practical suggestions for cooperation,” he said.

Highlighting education as a key pillar of bilateral collaboration, Pearson said that Vietnam’s goal of reaching US$8,500 per capita GDP by 2030 would depend heavily on human capital.

“Victoria has the expertise and resources to help strengthen Vietnam’s education system and support this ambition,” he said.

He proposed organizing more meetings between Ho Chi Minh City authorities and Australian universities operating in Vietnam, such as RMIT and Swinburne, to enhance cooperation in training and research.

Regarding port development, Pearson shared that Victoria successfully privatized its port system in 2016 and is ready to share insights and best practices on attracting private investment in infrastructure.

The minister expressed confidence that the partnership between Ho Chi Minh City and Victoria will soon yield tangible benefits for both localities, further contributing to the sustainable and prosperous relationship between Vietnam and Australia.