Communist Party Secretary General Nong Duc Manh left Hanoi Sunday for official visits to Australia and New Zealand, the Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations announced.

Among the high-ranking officials accompanying the party chief are Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc, and Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

The official visit to Australia by Party Secretary General Nong Duc Manh would help strengthen cooperation between the two countries, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Thanh Tan said in an interview with Vietnam News Agency last week.

Tan said he believed that bilateral ties would continue to develop, especially in trade and education.

Two-way trade including services between Australia and Vietnam grew an average of 22 percent annually in the five years from 2004, reaching AUD8 billion (currently US$6.4 billion) in 2007-2008, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade between New Zealand and Vietnam was around $300 million last year. The potential to expand this is said to be high.

Source: Thanh Nien, VNA