PERTH, AUSTRALIA – A business forum focused on strengthening trade and investment ties between Vietnam and Western Australia concluded in Perth on March 12, 2026, co-hosted by the Consulate General of Vietnam in Perth and the Western Australia Vietnam Business Council (WAVBC). The event, titled “Vietnam – Western Australia: Opportunities in Trade and Investment,” brought together government officials, diplomatic representatives, trade organizations and business leaders from both countries.
Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Thanh Ha emphasized the importance of Western Australia as a key partner for Vietnam, citing the state’s strengths in energy, strategic minerals, agriculture, education, and technology. “Western Australia is an important partner for Vietnam,” Consul General Ha stated, according to the Vietnamese News Agency. She affirmed the Consulate General’s commitment to facilitating cooperation between businesses in both regions, aiming to elevate economic relations to a level commensurate with the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam, and Australia.
Tran Thi Thanh My, Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in Sydney and Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, presented an overview of the Vietnamese economy, highlighting its potential as both a consumer market and a manufacturing hub within global supply chains. She specifically identified sectors with high potential for collaboration, including energy, mining, high-tech industry, advanced agriculture, training, logistics, and the digital economy. My reiterated the Trade Office’s readiness to support investors and businesses by providing strategic market information and assisting in resolving challenges related to investment and trade.
Robyn Robb, Executive Director, International Relations at the Western Australian Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, reaffirmed Vietnam’s status as a strategic partner in the state’s trade expansion and supply diversification policies. Arnold Jorge, Managing Director of the Australian Export Council, advocated for increased bilateral trade leveraging green technologies, artificial intelligence, and luxury agri-food products, noting Vietnam’s growing role as a production base for Australian brands.
Huynh Cong Thang, Chairman of Innovation Lab, identified cooperation in innovation as a key driver for future economic and technological relations between Vietnam and Western Australia. Vietnam Airlines also presented plans to expand direct flight routes to facilitate trade and tourism between the two regions.
The forum facilitated direct connections between businesses, creating concrete opportunities for collaboration in areas such as energy, industrial production, education, and technology. The WAVBC, established in 2014, actively coordinates an annual program of business seminars, networking events, and social functions within Western Australia to support bilateral trade and cultural exchange. On March 12, WAVBC Executive Director Edmund Damouni signed a ‘Book of Condolences’ in memory of His Excellency Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, alongside Consul General Nguyen Thanh Ha.
