Australian PM tries Hanoi draft beer during visit to Vietnam

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spent time visiting a local beer spot in Hanoi to enjoy bia hoi (light Vietnamese draft beer) after he arrived in the Vietnamese capital city on Saturday afternoon.

PM Albanese joined a crowd at a draft beer spot on Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District to drink ice-cold draft beer and have lunch there.

The Australian leader sat at the same table as that of Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh and Director of the State Protocol Department Nguyen Viet Dung.

Before visiting the draft beer spot, PM Albanese bought a loaf of banh mi, a Vietnamese baguette served with different fillings, for lunch.

A staff member of a banh mi stall gives banh mi to PM Albanese.

A representative of the Vietnam-based brewer Habeco briefs PM Albanese on the history and development of Hanoi draft beer.

PM Albanese jointly says "Mot, hai, ba, do!" (one, two, three, Cheers!) and chats with people drinking beer in the shop.

The head of the Australian government enjoys local delicacies served with draft beer.

The Australian government leader shows his interest in the beer drinking culture of Hanoi.

PM Albanese eats Hanoi-style banh mi, saying it tasted so good.

PM Albanese says "Mot, hai, ba, do!" with some people sharing the same table with him.

Vietnam is the second destination of PM Albanese's Southeast Asia trip. Earlier, he visited Singapore where he delivered an important speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2023, which is scheduled to take place from Friday to Sunday.

PM Albanese shakes hands with the owner of a draft beer spot on Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, June 3, 2023.

PM Albanese takes a wefie with two Vietnamese who helped him know more about Hanoian cuisine.

Sam Tran, a Vietnamese chef who lived in Australia, accompanied PM Albanese during a visit to the local draft beer spot.

She said the Australian leader did not book a private room but opted to enjoy draft beer like others normally do.

He sat at a table which is a large piece of plastic being placed above Hanoi draft beer barrels.

The top Australian official also showed his great chopstick skills when enjoying local food and ice-cold draft beer.

PM Albanese is a social person. He really enjoyed local food specialties. He also drank three glasses of draft beer in the afternoon, Sam Tran told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

PM Albanese arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Saturday afternoon, beginning a two-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

This is PM Albanese's first official visit to Vietnam since he took office in May last year and only two months after a State-level visit by Australian Governor-General David Hurley, showing that Australia attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam.

PM Albanese and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Minister – Chairman of the Vietnamese Government Office Tran Van Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet, and other diplomatic officials.

On Sunday, the Australian leader and his entourage are scheduled to lay wreaths in tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi.

He will also hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and meet with the press; meet with General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The two PMs will jointly visit and meet with the women's football teams of Australia and Vietnam.

Australia is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973.

The visit by PM Albanese takes place at a time when Vietnam and Australia celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski at a press briefing on June 2, 2023. Photo: Tien Dat / Tuoi Tre

Prior to the visit, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski told the press on Friday that the two nations are strategic partners in three pillars, including economic cooperation covering trade and investment; knowledge, innovation and education; and national defense cooperation.

The ambassador hoped that the two countries would upgrade their relationship to the next level and add the fourth pillar to their relationship.

The fourth pillar could be energy transition and climate change adaptation cooperation.

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