The Party, State and people of Vietnam wish to further boost thecomprehensive partnership with Australia in all fields, saidnewly-accredited Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi.

The diplomat made the statement while presenting his credentials toAustralian Governor-General Quentin Bryce on February 27.

He said that based on the achievements of the bilateral relationshipover the last four decades and the efforts of both sides,Vietnam-Australia relations will continue expanding.

Ambassador Nghi said the visit of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop toVietnam earlier this month was a step forward in bilateral cooperationin various fields, especially economics-trade-investment,security-defence, and education-training.

He alsolauded Australia’s maintenance of ODA provision to Vietnam, whilewelcoming the country’s New Colombo Plan, which offers Australianundergraduates new opportunities for prestigious scholarships and grantsfor study opportunities and internships/mentorships in the Indo Pacificregion.

The Governor-General expressed her delightat the robust growth of the bilateral ties, especially since thecomprehensive partnership was set up in 2009.

Lastyear, various joint activities to celebrate the 40 th anniversary ofbilateral diplomatic ties (1973-2013) contributed to strengtheningpeople-to-people contacts, she noted.

The Australianhost said she believes that with the building of a new plan of actionfor the 2014-2016 period, the all-round cooperation between the twocountries will be promoted.

She voiced her hope thatVietnam will join the Colombo Plan to foster people-to-peoplediplomacy, especially among younger generations.

Bryce also expressed her hope that in his new position, AmbassadorNghi will make positive contributions to the development of theVietnam-Australia comprehensive partnership.-VNA