Vietnam attaches importance to relations with New Zealand

Receiving Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who is in Hanoi for a four-day visit, Trong thanked New Zealand for its support to Vietnam over the years, including in implementing the action programme for the two countries’ strategic partnership for 2021-2024 and supporting Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control.

He welcomed the results of earlier talks between Jacinda Ardern and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and the signing of a number of cooperation documents which he said would help strengthen political ties, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Vietnam expects the New Zealand PM’s visit will open up a new chapter in bilateral relations on the back of the achievements the two countries have recorded in human resource development, education and training, agriculture and rural development, among others, said Trong.

For her part, Ardern briefed the host on her visit, saying New Zealand wants to foster the strategic partnership with Vietnam. She expressed her delight at the positive development of bilateral relations, especially in economic-trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

Ardern highly appreciated the similarities in the two countries’ foreign policies, which are peace-loving, independence and self-reliance, as well as their desire to resolve disputes and disagreements by peaceful means.

The two leaders discussed international and regional issues of common concern, emphasizing the importance of promoting trust, dialogue, and cooperation in finding solutions to international affairs, while strengthening coordination at multilateral forums for peace and cooperation in the region and the wider world.

Meeting with the visiting guest, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue thanked New Zealand for assisting Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by providing vaccines and financial support for the Southeast Asian country.

He proposed the two sides increase visit exchanges and cooperation between parliamentary committees and friendship parliamentarians’ groups to share information and experience, toward signing a cooperation agreement between the two legislatures.

The two sides should continue mutual support and close coordination at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP), the top legislator said.

Calling for enhanced cooperation in new fields such as energy transition and digital transformation, Hue said the Vietnamese legislature is incorporating the UN’s sustainable development goals 2030 into the country's socio-economic development plans and programmes while studying cooperation in technology and green growth to support energy transition and digital transformation.

PM Ardern, for her part, said the target of US$2 billion in two-way trade before 2025 is within reach. She unveiled New Zealand’s decision to open its market for Vietnamese lemons and pomelos and agreed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese farm produce to enter its market in the near future.

Apart from agriculture, financial technology, cooperation and services are also important fields to raise two-way trade, according to the PM.

At another meeting for the guest, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed the two countries strengthen education-training cooperation, locality-to-locality connections and people-to-people exchanges, soon reopen seasonal direct flights, and support each other to improve the quality of agricultural products for export.

Ardern affirmed that she will work closely with the Government and relevant agencies of Vietnam to develop the two countries' Strategic Partnership in a deeper and more substantive and effective manner. She pledged to continue support for Vietnam to improve the quality of some fruits for better access to international markets.