The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) has
committed to help Vietnam realise the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals and its national objectives.

Speaking at the Vietnam-Australia high-level consultation in Hanoi on
March 22, James Batley, Deputy Director General of the Asia Pacific and
Programme Enabling Group of AusAid, said Australia will continue
assisting Vietnam in implementing its commitments through bilateral
and multilateral aid.

He highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries in various fields such as education and infrastructure.

Sharing Batley’s views, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh
Borrowman said his country has many assistance projects in Vietnam .

Apart from providing official development assistance
(ODA), Australia has launched a host of supporting programmes for
the country, the diplomat said.

Vietnamese Minister of
Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh said over the past 20 years, the
Australian Government has maintained its high non-refundable aid to
Vietnam with the amount increasing every year.

Projects using Australia ’s ODA in infrastructure, human resource
development, economics, agriculture and rural development have
effectively contributed to the country’s socio-economic development, the
minister said.

Many completed projects have created important breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation, he noted.

At the meeting, organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment,
the two sides compared notes on the opportunities and challenges facing
Vietnam , as well as the country’s priorities in politics and
socio-economic development during the 2011-2015 period and beyond.

They discussed Vietnam ’s economic restructuring, focusing on public investment and state-owned enterprises.

The implementation of the Vietnam-Australia Joint Aid Programme
Strategy and issues relating to Australia ’s new aid policy were also
discussed.-VNA