VFF chief meets New Zealand leaders

Man, who was in New Zealand from December 3-5, was the first foreign guest hosted by Mallard after taking office on November 7. 

The VFF leader congratulated New Zealand on its successful general election in September 2017 and forming a new government, believing that the New Zealand government and parliament will continue improving the country’s stature. 

Lauding New Zealand’s contributions to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting recently held in Vietnam, Man affirmed that Vietnam is ready to share experience with New Zealand to fulfill the role of APEC host in 2021.

The guest asked New Zealand’s parliament and government to continue supporting Vietnamese nationals in the country that now number nearly 7,000, who he said, serve as a bridge for bilateral cooperation. 

The VFF leader welcomed close support between the two countries in regional and global forums, as well as New Zealand’s stance on the East Sea issue in the spirit of respect for international law. 

He expressed his wish to continue receive New Zealand’s support of Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on the issue. 

Mallard, for his part, briefed his guest about progress in New Zealand’s education sector, adding that New Zealand wants to extend ties with countries, including Vietnam, via education-training collaboration. 

The same day, Man had a brief meeting with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern. 

Earlier, he met Vietnamese nationals in the country.  

At present, nearly 2,500 Vietnamese students study in New Zealand. The Auckland – Ho Chi Minh City direct air route, which opened in June 2016, has been tapped effectively. Two-way trade has grown by nearly 20 percent annually, reaching 900 million USD last year and the figure is estimated to hit 1.7 billion USD by 2020. 

New Zealand currently has 28 valid investment projects worth nearly 101.94 million USD in Vietnam, 41st out of 120 countries and territories investing in the country.-