Hanoi, Sept. 26 -- A hybrid Vietnam - Australia Economic Forum, themed "Building bridges for mutual prosperity," was held in Hanoi on September 26, providing a platform for academic exchanges and open, multi-dimensional dialogue aimed at deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. As of early this year, Australia ranked among the leading countries in direct investment in Vietnam with 670 projects worth more than 1.86 billion USD, and provided 3 billion AUD in official development assistance (ODA) over the past five decades. Bilateral trade reached 14 billion USD in 2024. Currently, Australia is Vietnam's ninth-largest trading partner, while Vietnam ranks 10th among Australia's major partners. Nguyen Duc Hien, Vice Chairma...