Hosted by Ambassador Mr Phạm Hùng Tâm & Mrs Le Thu Trang
Canberra 8 February 2026
The AVFS was invited to attend the Viet Nam Homeland Spring 2026 celebrations held at Weston Community Hall on Sunday 8 February 2026.
The event was well attended by the Viet Nam-Australia diaspora in Canberra and from Melbourne and Sydney, with families proudly wearing traditional costumes and friendly dispositions.
Ambassador Tam opened the reception and expressed his sincere thanks to all distinguished guests including those represented by Kim Sampson, President of the AVFS. He expressed his wish that all families attending enjoy good health, happiness, and prosperity in the New Year.
Ambassador Tam commented on the extraordinary growth in the Vietnamese economy “which achieved a remarkable GDP growth rate of more than 8% in 2025. Importantly, we continously reaffirm the overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation and an important contributing factor in strengthening Viet Nam’s relations with other countries”.
Bi lateral trade between Viet Nam and Australia has been a steady $14b (USD). Tourist trade by Australians showing interest in visiting Viet Nam has increased a huge 11.6% as compared to 2024, reaching a record high of half a million visitors.
The Ambassador said that cooperation across political, regional security and defense, economic, science and technology with the Australian Government was strengthening.
The Ambassador said, “We are also witnessing the strong development of the VietNam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with more than 96 per cent ofthe total 180 activities of its Action Plan for the 2024–2027 period have been completed or are on track”
Many ‘people-to-people’ exchanges continue, with the AVFS playing its part in this aspect of relations with Viet Nam. In 2025, the Vietnamese community in Australia continued to make highly practical and outstanding contributions to the homeland and to the Viet Nam–Australia relationship, the Ambassador added.
The Ambassador sincerely thanked ‘our compatriots’ for their enthusiastic response and collective support in helping people in the homeland to overcome the consequences of storms, floods, and natural disasters in 2025.
Musicians of the Hue Royal Court Music Group were assembled at the entrance to the reception centre, as was the Ambassador and his staff. The full troupe of artists performed Nha nhac a form of elegant and ritual music dating back to 1802. The Duyet Thi Duong Royal Theatre has performed in festivals and cultural exchange programs in many European and Asian countries.
Kim Sampson (AVFS) said that the performances, particularly the Royal CourtDance: A Unicorn Gives Birth to its Child expressed themes of family, happiness and the ‘joy of spring’ which was in keeping with the spirit of the event.
Kim said the event highlights the need for solidarity of the AVFS with the Vietnamese community in Australia and to making even greater contributions to the relationship between Viet Nam and Australia.
