Building beyond its expertise in the maritime domain, the crew of HMAS Toowoomba provided support for English-language training during a recent port visit to Vietnam.

On March 31, 20 crew members worked with the University of Da Nang at its centre for foreign language studies, where they connected with an equal number of young Vietnamese adults.

Lieutenant Commander Darcy Cook said the exchange represented the strong people-to-people links that continue to draw Australia and Vietnam closer.

“Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations for Australians to visit, and the number of Vietnamese people visiting Australia is also at record highs,” Lieutenant Commander Cook said.

“This shows there’s a strong and growing friendship between our two nations.”

He added that this popularity was reflected in the dialogue between the junior sailors and Vietnamese students, who spent hours swapping stories about what their lives looked like in their respective homelands.

“When you think about it, Australia and Vietnam should be naturally close friends. Both of us are countries with long, vast coastlines that are the lifeblood of our cultures and we both share proud, maritime traditions,” Lieutenant Commander Cook said.

Welcoming the ‘class’ from Toowoomba was Associate Professor Nguyen Van Long, Rector of the University of Foreign Language Studies at the University of Da Nang, who said the event was more than just an ordinary day at school. 

“Today’s event is more than just a performance or a gathering – it is a symbol of friendship, mutual understanding and collaboration between our two countries, especially in the field of education and culture,” Associate Professor Long said.

The associate professor added that for English-language students, the event was an invaluable opportunity to learn more about Australian culture first-hand, and welcomed the Australian Defence Force to continue visiting in the future.

“Let us continue to nurture this spirit of cooperation and friendship in the years to come,” Associate Professor Long said.

Bilateral links between Australia and Vietnam have developed significantly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973. The bilateral defence relationship was established in 1998.