He was seen off at Tan Son Nhat International Airport by Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Ngoc Hai, Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung, along with representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs and several officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During his stay in Hanoi, Luxon held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and held meetings with senior Vietnamese leaders, including Party General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.

Both sides emphasized that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1975 and a Strategic Partnership in 2020, bilateral relations have grown significantly. They agreed to elevate the ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

They witnessed the signing and exchange of cooperation agreements between the two countries.

The two PMs visited the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, and enjoyed traditional folk performances.

Luxon also visited and interacted with students at the Hanoi Foreign Trade University, where he announced New Zealand’s scholarship programs for Vietnamese students in 2025.

While in Hanoi, Luxon attended and delivered a speech at the second ASEAN Future Forum. In his speech, Luxon emphasized that the forum provided an opportunity to address challenges facing the world and the Indo-Pacific region, as well as underscoring ASEAN’s importance to New Zealand.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Luxon met with Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc.

Luxon’s official visit coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1975 – 2025). The successful outcomes of the visit mark a remarkable development and deep strategic trust between Vietnam and New Zealand, providing a solid framework for their relations to enter a new phase of growth.

Vietnam, New Zealand see huge opportunities across multiple fields: PM Luxon

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has talked to the press on New Zealand - Vietnam ties, the role of Vietnam and ASEAN, and his activities during his official visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum in Hanoi from February 25 to 28.