Hanoi is seeking further cooperation with Australia in education and tourism, said Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, on September 26.

Hanoi Party Committee Vice Secretary Nguyen Van Phong (right) presents a painting of the One Pillar Pagoda to Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Education and tourism are the two high-potential sectors that Hanoi will further explore in its relations with Australia, Hanoi's Deputy Party chief said at a meeting with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski.

Hanoi is now home to some 2.3 million primary, middle and high school students and 60% of all universities and colleges in Vietnam, he said.

Phong noted that Hanoi plans to develop the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park into a satellite city west of downtown Hanoi and that Hoa Lac will become the capital's education and science hub. Hanoi considers the development of Hoa Lac and other satellite cities a priority and a driver of the capital's socio-economic growth.

Meanwhile, culture, people, science and technology, innovation, and regulatory reform are the three main driving factors for Hanoi's sustainability.

Phong said Hanoi will submit the draft of the amended Capital Law to the National Assembly for discussion next month. "Hanoi wants to transform itself into a cultured, modern and civilized metropolis, the driving center of the North and an international metropolis in 2045." 

The Deputy Party Chief also revealed that Hanoi officials will make a business trip to Australia to improve the city's relations with Sydney and Melbourne and expand partnerships with other Australian localities. The main focus of this visit will be economic cooperation and investment, urban management, historical and cultural preservation, and educational collaboration.

"Hanoi hopes that Australian partners will help improve the English language skills of our teachers and officials and that Australian businesses and universities will further invest in our city alongside people-to-people exchanges," he said.

He expected the Australian Ambassador to help Hanoi attract more foreign investors and enhance cooperation with Australian enterprises.

For his part, Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski agreed with Hanoi's Deputy Party Chief Nguyen Van Phong on the potential relations between Vietnam and Australia.

He also appreciated Hanoi's support for the embassy in recent years and believed that Australia would remain an important partner for Vietnam and Hanoi in the future.

The Ambassador stressed that the relationship between Vietnam and Australia is no longer about concrete and steel construction projects but cooperation in education and training, science, and innovation.

He also hoped that the Vietnamese government and the government in Hanoi would make further regulatory reforms to attract new investors in the education sector. He said the prospects of decentralized relations between Hanoi and Australian localities are boundless.

The Ambassador predicted that the Hanoi delegation's visit to Australia would strengthen relations between the two nations and boost the city's growth.

According to the officials, Hanoi and Australian localities have remained important trade and economic partners for each other, and Australian investors have increased their activities in the city.

Hanoi exporters shipped about US$35 million worth of products to Australia by the end of Q1/2023, accounting for 0.9% of the city's total. Hanoi imported US$448 million, or 5.4% of Australia's total shipments to Vietnam.

Regarding tourism, Hanoi welcomed about 2.3 million tourists in the first half of 2023. Australia was among the largest source markets for the Vietnamese city's travel industry.