The meeting followed a milestone year in 2025, when ASEAN and New Zealand marked the 50th anniversary of their Dialogue Relations, upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), and adopted the ASEAN–New Zealand Plan of Action for 2026–2030. It provided an opportunity for both sides to operationalise new commitments and discuss ways to foster cooperation in a more structured, substantive, and effective manner.

ASEAN and New Zealand have completed 100% of action lines under the 2021–2025 Plan of Action. Flagship initiatives such as the Manaaki Scholarships, short-term training programmes for young trade officials, and New Zealand’s support for ASEAN centres have delivered tangible and wide-ranging benefits, reflecting New Zealand’s consistent, long-term commitment to ASEAN.

New Zealand Ambassador Joanna Anderson also commended Vietnam’s active, flexible, and effective coordination role during 2024–2025.

New Zealand reaffirmed its alignment with ASEAN’s positions on upholding international law and rules-based order, including principles enshrined in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the UN Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

The country also pledged to further deepen ties with ASEAN across strategic, economic, and international dimensions, based on mutual respect, transparency, and constructive engagement.

To this end, New Zealand will prioritise effective implementation of the 2026–2030 Plan of Action through targeted initiatives, including ASEAN–New Zealand dialogue scholarships, the ASEAN–New Zealand climate action initiative, and support for innovative, climate-resilient micro-small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Both sides agreed to advance the implementation of the 2026–2030 Plan of Action with a clear roadmap, focusing on priority areas such as trade and economic cooperation, connectivity, people-to-people exchanges, education and training, energy, climate, agriculture, non-traditional security, and transnational crime.

In its coordinating role, Vietnam worked with New Zealand to develop and promote ASEAN’s adoption of the Terms of Reference for the ASEAN–New Zealand Vision Fund. Funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with a total value of NZD25 million, the fund will support projects in priority areas such as governance and security, economic development, environment and climate change, and capacity building, with grants ranging from NZD50,000 to NZD500,000 per project.

From the perspective of an ASEAN member state, Ambassador Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to ASEAN, encouraged New Zealand to continue engaging actively in both ASEAN–New Zealand frameworks and ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), and the East Asia Maritime Forum (EAMF), contributing to trust-building, dialogue, cooperation, and conflict prevention in the region.

She also called for enhanced maritime cooperation, including maritime domain awareness, application of technology and AI, search and rescue, protection of critical undersea infrastructure, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and capacity building for maritime law enforcement agencies.

On economic and people-to-people cooperation, she urged support for businesses, especially MSMEs, to better leverage the ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), promote digital economy cooperation, accelerate the ratification of the ASEAN–New Zealand Air Services Agreement, and expand collaboration in smart agriculture, high-quality food production, renewable energy, climate finance, and scholarship and training programmes such as Manaaki and English Language Training for Officials programme (ELTO).

She also expressed hope that New Zealand would assist ASEAN in narrowing development gaps through the implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan V. The Ambassador shared upcoming initiatives led by Vietnam, including the Asia Future Forum and an ASEAN–New Zealand subregional development cooperation initiative.

ASEAN leader praises Vietnam’s contributions to regional bloc

VOV.VN - ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has commended Vietnam’s proactive and constructive role within ASEAN, reaffirming confidence in the country’s continued contributions to regional integration and community-building efforts.