Vietnam’s top leader, Tô Lâm, will make state visits to Australia and New Zealand from August 9 to August 14 as the country continues to strengthen its international partnerships and expand economic cooperation.
The visits will be carried out at the invitation of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro. Tô Lâm will be accompanied by a high-level Vietnamese delegation during the trip.
The visits are expected to focus on strengthening political ties, expanding trade and investment, and deepening cooperation in areas such as education, technology, security, and regional development.
Vietnam and Australia have continued to build closer relations in recent years. In 2024, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the highest level of diplomatic cooperation between them.
Senior leaders from both nations regularly engage in high-level discussions. These exchanges have helped strengthen cooperation across a wide range of sectors and support long-term strategic goals.
The two countries currently maintain more than 20 bilateral cooperation mechanisms. These include meetings between prime ministers, foreign ministers, defense ministers, and economic officials.
Economic relations remain a major pillar of the partnership. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Australia reached approximately US$14 billion in 2025.
Vietnam exported about US$6.8 billion worth of goods to Australia during the year, representing steady growth compared with the previous year. Imports from Australia totaled about US$7.2 billion.
Australia is now Vietnam’s seventh-largest trading partner, while Vietnam ranks among Australia’s top ten trading partners.
Agricultural trade has also expanded. Australia allows imports of several Vietnamese products, including lychees, mangoes, dragon fruit, longans, passion fruit, pomelos, and frozen shrimp.
Vietnam has also opened its market to Australian products such as oranges, mandarins, cherries, grapes, peaches, nectarines, and blueberries.
Investment cooperation continues to grow. As of the end of May, Australian investors held more than 700 active projects in Vietnam with registered capital exceeding US$1.9 billion.
Vietnamese businesses have also increased their presence in Australia through more than 100 investment projects with registered capital exceeding US$550 million.
Development cooperation remains another important part of the relationship. Australia continues to be one of Vietnam’s largest providers of grant-based development assistance and has contributed billions of Australian dollars since diplomatic relations began.
Education links between the two countries are also expanding. Nearly 25,000 Vietnamese students are currently studying in Australia, making Vietnam one of the largest sources of international students in the country.
At the same time, thousands of Australian students have traveled to Vietnam through educational exchange programs over the past decade.
The visit to New Zealand is also expected to strengthen an important partnership in the Asia-Pacific region.
New Zealand considers Vietnam a key partner in Southeast Asia and continues to support deeper engagement with the region.
Trade between Vietnam and New Zealand has shown strong growth. Bilateral trade reached approximately US$1.5 billion in 2025, representing a significant increase from the previous year.
Vietnam exported goods worth about US$711 million to New Zealand, while imports from New Zealand reached approximately US$784 million.
Trade growth has continued into 2026. During the first six months of the year, bilateral trade totaled more than US$844 million, reflecting strong momentum in economic cooperation.
Agricultural market access remains a major area of collaboration. Vietnam imports products from New Zealand including potatoes, frozen beef, kiwifruit, apples, pumpkins, and strawberries.
New Zealand has approved imports of Vietnamese mangoes, dragon fruit, rambutans, limes, and pomelos.
Vietnam is also seeking approval for additional products, including durian, passion fruit, lychees, and cut flowers. New Zealand is pursuing access for products such as pears, honey, venison, and deer meat.
The upcoming state visits highlight Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening international partnerships and expanding economic opportunities.
Officials from all three countries are expected to discuss ways to enhance trade, investment, education, and regional cooperation while supporting long-term growth and stability.
The visits are seen as an important step in advancing Vietnam’s strategic relationships with Australia and New Zealand and creating new opportunities for cooperation in the years ahead.
