Viet Nam - Australia push to open agricultural markets

On the morning of May 21, Viet Nam's Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung received Australian Ambassador Gillian Bird at the MAE's headquarters in Hanoi for talks on bilateral cooperation in agriculture, climate change, and natural resources.

At the meeting, Minister Trinh Viet Hung affirmed that Viet Nam and Australia share a longstanding and deepening friendship that has grown increasingly substantive across multiple sectors. He emphasized that, with bilateral ties now elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, continued momentum in areas of mutual interest, particularly agriculture, the environment, and climate change adaptation, is of significant importance to both nations.

Ambassador Bird used the occasion to deliver a congratulatory letter from Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to Minister Trinh on his new appointment, reaffirming that agriculture remains a central pillar of the bilateral relationship.

The ambassador noted that both countries are major agricultural producers and exporters, and that cooperation in the sector has expanded steadily over the years with tangible results. Australia's Agricultural Counselor office in Viet Nam has been operating for a decade, while the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has maintained a presence in the country for 33 years and has supported more than 200 collaborative projects.

Ambassador Bird also expressed appreciation for Viet Nam's dispatch of a field inspection team to assess Australian wild kangaroo meat, and said she hoped the resulting evaluation report would be completed promptlyto commence trade for those products this year.

Regarding market access, both sides expressed a desire to expand trade in fruit. Australia is seeking to export lychees to the Vietnamese market while also pushing to facilitate the import of Vietnamese limes into Australia.

Regarding food safety, Ambassador Bird welcomed Viet Nam's decision to suspend implementation of Decree 46, noting that any rollout of new regulations should follow a measured timeline to avoid disrupting bilateral trade flows. She said Australia hopes to continue working with Vietnamese authorities to find a balanced approach, one that upholds food safety standards while easing the path for businesses on both sides.

On climate, Ambassador Bird noted that Australia and Turkey will co-host the COP31 climate conference in the coming period and expressed hope that Viet Nam would participate actively and constructively. She also highlighted Australia's decade-long support for cooperative programs related to the Mekong River basin.

In response, Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed appreciation for Australia's sustained engagement with Viet Nam's agricultural sector, describing it as vital to economic growth, food security, and the livelihoods of the population. He observed that Australia's climatic advantages and high-quality agricultural output complement Viet Nam's strengths as a tropical nation with diverse farming, forestry, and aquaculture ecosystems, conditions well suited to a mutually reinforcing partnership and expanded agricultural trade.

The minister called on technical agencies on both sides to continue reviewing sectors with strong trade potential, with a view to opening markets and working toward the signing of high-level agricultural cooperation agreements.

On COP31, Minister Trinh congratulated Australia on its co-host role and pledged that Viet Nam would engage proactively and responsibly. He stressed that, beyond emissions-reduction targets, the conference should send a stronger message about human responsibility in curbing activities that drive greenhouse gas emissions and catalyze concrete action on global climate change.

Closing the meeting, Minister Trinh tasked the ministry's Department of International Cooperation with serving as the lead contact in coordinating with the Australian side to review and consolidate both countries' cooperation priorities going forward.

Ambassador Bird reaffirmed Australia's strong regard for the relationship with Viet Nam and expressed hope that senior leaders from both countries would meet again soon to advance the signing of additional memoranda of understanding across areas of shared interest.