The Australian and Vietnamese Governments are strengthening agricultural relations, holding the first ever bilateral agriculture talks from November 22-23 in Hanoi.
The Vietnam-Australia Agricultural Forum which was held by the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) was established in recognition of the strong and growing agriculture relationship between the two countries.
Addressing the forum, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Craig Chittick, said that agriculture is a cornerstone of the two countries' bilateral partnership, and Australia is committed to deepening the relationship in trade, agribusiness, research, innovation and investment.
“Agriculture is a priority sector for Vietnam’s development, and Australia will continue to invest in our joint agriculture research collaboration and foster commercial technology transfer to help Vietnamese farming communities reach their aspirations. Vietnam is an important agricultural trading partner for Australia, and we look forward to expanding trade and investment opportunities. We are also both working to address the impact of a changing climate and improve water management”, Ambassador Chittick said.
The first meeting of the Vietnam-Australia Agricultural Forum included discussions on trade, agribusiness, forestry and fisheries, as well as education, science and technology issues.
“The forum provides an opportunity to share experiences and identify areas for future collaboration. Australia is pleased that the forum has been established and we hope that it allows shared understanding of agricultural policies, progress on market access issues and helps build mutual capacity”, said DAWR Deputy Secretary, David Parker.
The meeting coincided with the Australian Embassy’s Gender Month. The forum included a discussion on gender policies in the agricultural sector. Australia will also provide an overview program to improve profitability for women farmers and agribusinesses.
The inaugural meeting was chaired for Australia by DAWR Deputy Secretary, David Parker, and co-chaired for Vietnam by MARD Vice Minister, Le Quoc Doanh.
