Speeches
Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Reception for Vietnam Politburo
I am pleased to welcome Professor Nguyen Xuan Thang and members of his delegation to Government House and to Adelaide.
I trust your itinerary in South Australia is both productive and enjoyable, exploring the best of potential links in mining, energy, and other endeavours.
VietJet’s new direct flights into Adelaide, which began last month, have been welcomed by South Australians, for whom Vietnam is a popular destination for both leisure and business.
2023 is a milestone year in the relationship between Australia and Vietnam, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties between our two nations.
As Governor of South Australia, and formerly as a career diplomat, it has given me great pleasure to see, and make a modest contribution to, the deepening of our relationship over the years.
In November last year I travelled to Vietnam on a vice-regal visit to develop ties in a range of areas, including education, science and technology, and others.
I was pleased to give an address at the Vietnam Australia Centre, which represents a vision in which Australia and Vietnam share the very best knowledge and expertise that each country has to offer, and work to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future together.
I thank Professor Thang for being a champion of the Centre’s establishment within the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, which he of course leads.
The Vietnam Australia Centre speaks volumes about the growing strength of the relationship between Australia and Vietnam.
Its location in the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics is a symbol of trust and of partnership between our countries.
And it builds on the extraordinary education and people to people linkages that our countries already share.
In my home state, South Australia, there are around 40,000 people of Vietnamese origin.
In fact, I’m proud to say, my immediate predecessor as Governor of South Australia was the Honourable Hieu Van Le, a distinguished Australian of Vietnamese origin.
Hieu Van Le was the first person of Asian origin to be appointed Governor of any of Australia’s states and the first person of Vietnamese origin to be appointed to a vice-regal position anywhere in the world.
The story of the people-to-people links between Australia and Vietnam – and South Australia and Vietnam – is full of successes like that one.
I feel certain there are further successes to come.