MEDIA RELEASE: OFFICIAL VISITS
DATE: 7 January 2009
Australian Parliamentary delegation visits Vietnam
Hanoi - Mr Harry Jenkins MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, is currently leading an Australian Parliamentary delegation in Vietnam. The visit to Vietnam by Mr Jenkins and his delegation is hosted by National Assembly President, H.E. Dr Nguyen Phu Trong.
Arriving in Hanoi today, the Speaker of the House, Mr Jenkins, said that he was very pleased to be in Vietnam and to able to build on the excellent outcomes from the successful visit to Australia by Chairman Trong and his delegation in March 2008.
“Relations between the parliaments of Australia and Vietnam continue to grow from strength to strength. I am delighted to be in Vietnam and I see many opportunities for Australia and Vietnam to expand our dialogue, most notably in the areas of economic, development, environmental and educational cooperation”.
Mr Jenkins is accompanied by the Member of the House of Representatives Mr Luke Simpkins, three members of the Australian Senate, Senator Jacinta Collins, Senator Helen Kroger and Senator Claire Moore, Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Senior Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Delegation Secretary from the Parliamentary Relations Office.
During the visit to Hanoi the Australian Parliamentary delegation will meet with Prime Minister H.E. Mr Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly President, H.E. Dr Nguyen Phu Trong. The delegation will also visit a variety of projects in and around Hanoi including the Hai Duong Women’s “8 March” Welfare Centre, the EcoBoat project and the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF) Protec Helmet Factory.
In Ho Chi Minh City on the 5-6th of January, the delegation met with representatives from the ANZ Bank; the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zone Administration; the Phu My Bridge project and Loreto Vietnam Australia Program Project – Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind.
The visit will conclude on the 11th of January.