Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
29 June 2016
Mr Chander Khera of ACHRE attended the above meeting. A large number of interested CSO were also present. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advised Australia has a burgeoning trade with Vietnam and the country was now Australia’s 14th trading partner. A sizeable number of overseas students in Australia are from Vietnam and DFAT acknowledged the great contribution from Vietnamese community in Australia. Australia’s aid program in Vietnam is increasingly focused on women, specifically in developing and supporting leadership and entrepreneurship among women. There are still challenges with regards to human rights, but overall the direction is positive. Australia sees a significant benefit in continuing the dialogue and maintaining a bilateral approach to human rights. DFAT expects to debrief CSO community after the dialogue,