Governor-General of Australia: Caring, kindness and generosity are core parts of Vietnamese culture

On the occasion of his State visit to Vietnam, Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn shared with the Vietnamese press his feelings when returning to Vietnam after more than 30 years, since his trip to Vietnam in the early 1990s.

Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn expressed his surprise and impression of Vietnam's remarkable transformation and change, from bicycle- and pedestrian-only neighborhoods to one of the most successful and rapidly developing economies in the region.

The Vietnamese people have every right to be proud of their country's position, because of the great positive impacts not only on Vietnam itself but also on the world .

“Back in the early 1990s, I came to Vietnam with two friends who were passionate about traveling and exploring. We spent 3 weeks traveling from South to North, starting from Ho Chi Minh City, then going through Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat and ending the journey in Hanoi. I still remember very clearly, because the Vietnamese people at that time were very hospitable and generous. I remember that at that time, there were almost no foreign tourists here, so people must have found us quite strange. But then you know, we were welcomed with such sincerity and hospitality that it was amazing. At every stop, we learned a lot about the nature, people and culture here. To this day, when I return to Vietnam, I still feel that. And I could not imagine that, just a few decades after returning to Vietnam, I would witness one of the most powerful and successful economies in the region.

Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn and his husband leisurely stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

“In fact, I saw your potential back in the 90s, but Vietnam's rise since then has been astonishing, and a lesson for the world on how to develop a nation,” said Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

Recalling her trip more than three decades ago, Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn said she recorded many images of Vietnam, especially the old capital Hanoi, with a film camera, and during this visit, she gave President Luong Cuong an album with many vivid images of the trip.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn said that when talking with Vietnam's top leaders, she clearly felt that Vietnam aims for growth but not at the expense of people's happiness or the natural environment - vital factors for a country's survival.

She also sees leaders struggling to maintain this balance in the best possible way, with people at the center.

Reform policies are designed by the people, for the people, as evidenced by lifting millions out of poverty over the past three decades - a truly extraordinary achievement.

“Throughout my journey back to Vietnam after many decades, I still see that caring, kindness and generosity are a core part of Vietnamese culture. It is wonderful to witness that and I think this is a national asset - something you should never lose as you continue to develop and aim to become a high-income country in the coming decades,” said Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn.

Ms. Sam Mostyn emphasized that these are the solid foundation and motivation for countries to seek friendship and close cooperation with Vietnam.

For Australia, the two sides witnessed a historic milestone when the relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024. And in meetings with the top leaders of Vietnam this time, Governor-General Sam Mostyn recognized a strong commitment to economic development and turning Vietnam into a high-income economy in the coming decades.

“Vietnam and Australia are promoting a very effective economic and trade cooperation relationship and will continue to grow. I am very pleased that there are many opportunities to invest more strongly. We are also promoting private investment in Vietnam. There is currently a 2 billion Australian dollar (AUD) Southeast Asia Investment Fund and we want to use that fund effectively in your country. We are also investing in building a “technology launchpad” here to connect start-ups and research institutes. This is a very substantial relationship that we want to strengthen to ensure that Australian investment will go hand in hand with the stability and development of Vietnam,” Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn emphasized.

Currently, Vietnam and Australia are each other's major trading partners with a trade turnover of more than 14 billion USD by 2024. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation, aiming for a trade turnover of 20 billion USD and doubling bilateral investment in the coming years.

Not only in the economic field, according to Governor-General Sam Mostyn, education is one of the oldest and deepest ties in the relationship between the two countries that began in the 1970s.

Among them, RMIT University is one of the first Australian universities to come to Vietnam more than 25 years ago.

Hanoi people happily welcomed Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn as if he were meeting a relative. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

According to the latest statistics, more than 160,000 Vietnamese people have come to Australia to study, and there are currently about 33,000 Vietnamese students studying at Australian educational institutions.

In addition, there are about 17,000 Vietnamese people studying Australian degree programs right in Vietnam. Governor-General Sam Mostyn said that this is a clear example of people-to-people exchange and people-to-people connections.

She also said that Vietnamese is currently the fourth most popular language in Australia, with a Vietnamese community of more than 350,000 people in Australia. In the story about Vietnam and the relationship between the two countries, Governor-General Sam Mostyn also shared about the goal of enhancing leadership capacity for women and gender equality, which Vietnam is also paying great attention to.

“I am the second woman to hold the role of Governor-General of Australia. I have worked extensively on women’s economic equality in Australia, and I know that this is also important for Vietnam. Because economic empowerment, leadership development and career development for women are essential for a highly educated workforce like Vietnam. Women need to be given the opportunity to continue to develop their careers and contribute to the human resources and the future of the country. This is also an important part of the strategy to build human capacity, to fully develop the potential, intelligence and bravery of all Australians,” said Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn also shared that she loves sports and looks forward to watching the Vietnamese women's team compete at the 2026 Women's World Cup Finals held in Australia.

She also believes that there will be many Australians cheering for Vietnam because they have come and loved this country. Devoting themselves to and sharing their thoughts on the youth, Governor-General Sam Mostyn said that the youth of both Vietnam and Australia today understand better than any previous generation the impact of technology, the impact of climate change, the need for global thinking, high-quality education, creativity, innovation, etc.

She also expressed her confidence in the future generation of Vietnam. “In Vietnamese communities both in Australia and in Vietnam, I see that young Vietnamese people all have aspirations to develop the country. I believe that policy institutes, people-to-people exchange programs or bilateral visits, if viewed through the lens of young people and their expectations for a good life in the future, will be really interesting and bring unexpected results. Therefore, I want to tell young people to confidently speak up, take responsibility for their ideas, and participate in big plans for the common future of the country. Understanding the country and its history, this 80th anniversary of National Day is a valuable opportunity for you to recall and reflect on a past of arduous struggle until today, when the country is entering a period of very strong development. This is the time to make the most of that opportunity! And I hope that young people will step up with a spirit of leadership, with aspirations not only for Vietnam, but for the whole world. region and the world,” Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn emphasized.

Governor General Sam Mostyn said that all Vietnamese people should be proud of the position that the country has in the international arena. Because Vietnam's strong development and rise not only builds its own reputation, but also creates a great positive impact on the world.

And she believes that that influence will continue to grow thanks to the strong development strategies that Vietnamese leaders are promoting./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/toan-quyen-australia-su-quan-tam-tu-te-rong-luong-la-mot-phan-cot-loi-van-hoa-viet-nam-post1061476.vnp