Recently, Consulate General of Vietnam in the capital of Western Australia in Perth in collaboration with the state government, the state Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the launching ceremony Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council. The council plays an important role in informing, supporting exchange, and promotion of business and investment opportunities for businesses in Vietnam and those in Western Australia. Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnam Consul General - Le Viet Duyen stressed the importance of the opening of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council in the context of Vietnam - Australia bilateral relation growing stronger. It is reinforced, strengthened, deepened, and marked by the working visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to Australia in March 2015, and the signing of the Vietnam - Australia Strengthening Partnership.
Economic and trade relation between Vietnam and Western Australia is on track to grow strongly. The trade turnover increased by 227% in two years, reached 1,185 billion AUD in 2014. The Consul General expressed a hope that with the establishment of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council, the council will support to connect and exchange between businesses, enhance the economic activities and trade between Vietnam and Australia, especially when Vietnam is growing fast, profoundly integrating the international economy in the region and in the entire world. On this occasion, Consul General also introduced to the guests of lychee fruit, latest products of Vietnam are brought to the Australian market in recent times. In response, Deputy Premier Kim Hames repeated the impressions of strong development of Vietnam economy during his visit to Vietnam in May 2014. He expressed his delight with the impressive growth of trade turnover between Western Australia and Vietnam. Congratulating the birth of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council, Mr. Hames believed that trade and economic relation, as well as other areas will have greater progresses in the future to the role as supporting point of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council.
Chairman Graeme Sheard WAVBC thanked the support of Vietnam government of through the Consulate General, as well as the support of the Western Australia state government, the business community and the two parties, Vietnamese community in Western Australia for establishment of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council. Mr. Sheard emphasized that the Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council would build action programs, host regular exchanges, connections between businesses of the two sides, work as a bridge to promote further growing trade and economic relations on the sharp rise between Vietnam and Western Australia. In a congratulatory letter, the Premier of Western Australia - Colin Barnett on behalf of the state government and people warmly congratulated the establishment WAVBC, appreciated the role of the council and are confident that this will contribute to enhancing milestone further strong partnerships and strong developing between Western Australia and Vietnam.
Enterprises in Western Australia and enterprises in Vietnam attending the opening ceremony expressed their delight when having clues to access and exchange information, and connect opportunities between the two parties, and expressed willingness to support the promotion of wide network expansion of members in both Vietnam and Western Australia. Satisfied with the optimistic development of markets in two countries, leading enterprises in trade between Western Australia and Vietnam as CBH (wheat exports to Vietnam), Furniture (imported furniture from Vietnam) also expressed their confidence in the future growth of trade turnover, and delighted with the birth of Vietnam - Western Australia Business Council in an effort to strengthen, promote, enhance and further deepen trade and economic relations between Vietnam and Australia. In the framework of the opening ceremony, the guests also enjoyed Vietnam products in Western Australia market such as tea, coffee, Saigon beer, along with traditional dishes of Vietnam