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| Andrew Goledzinowski, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam from 2022 to 2024, in an interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Australia. (Photo: VNA) |
Sydney (VNA) – Vietnam has a stable political system, and that is one of the major strengths of this Southeast Asian nation, said Andrew Goledzinowski, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam from 2022 to 2024, in an interview with a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Australia.
Goledzinowski said that Vietnam is at a historic juncture, noting that the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam is an event of particularly important significance.
“I think Vietnam's future lies in change and in adapting to a rapidly evolving international climate economically, politically, geostrategically. And I think to prepare itself for that new era, Vietnam itself has to enter a new era,” said the former ambassador.
Vietnam has set very ambitious goals for itself, he noted, adding that the country intends to become a prosperous upper middle-income economy by 2030 and a fully developed high-income economy by 2045.
“It's very positive that we saw Vietnam last year grow at more than 8%. So I think it's possible for Vietnam to do even better in the coming years.”
He also pointed to the nation’s changing demographics. Although still a young nation, Vietnam has reached a point at which it needs to step up its efforts, as population growth is slowing rapidly. In his view, this is an important factor that could affect the country’s future growth potential.
He also noted that technological change, demographic shifts and mounting competition among countries will not wait for Vietnam. “For Vietnam to achieve its economic goals, it has to continue moving in the direction that it has been moving and has to continue moving fast.”
Goledzinowski also observed that Vietnam is opening up to the world in a balanced manner. In recent years, the country has proactively upgraded its relations to comprehensive strategic partnerships with a number of key partners.
The former ambassador recalled that when he first took up his post in Vietnam, the Southeast Asian nation had only three comprehensive strategic partners, namely Russia, China and India – largely traditional partners. Since then, Vietnam has moved to broaden its network of strategic partnerships, including with the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, France, Malaysia, the US, Singapore and the UK, among others.
In his view, this represents a clear strategy, reflecting Vietnam’s long-term vision of its position and future development in a rapidly changing world.
According to the former ambassador, last year, Vietnam's soft power rating by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute grew faster than any other countries. This demonstrates that Vietnam's political influence is growing in the world. “I think Vietnam is growing to become a more confident player in the region and in the world more broadly.”
Against the backdrop of increasingly complex regional and global developments, Goledzinowski said that Vietnam-Australia relations are now more important than ever.
According to him, the sides’ economies are very complimentary. They don't compete, but cooperate, he said. Their long history of cooperation has also helped build political trust, creating a solid foundation for further strengthening bilateral relations in the time ahead.
“I'm very optimistic about the relationship and that's why I'm doing so much even now between the two countries because I think the future is even more exciting than the past.”./.
