Vietnam, New Zealand to hold high-level talks on bilateral relations
VOV.VN - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is to hold online talks with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern on July 22, aiming to lift bilateral ties between Vietnam and New Zealand to new heights.
Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes his NZ counterpart Jacinda Ardern to Da Nang for the 2017 APEC summit. (Photo: file)
2020 is a special year in bilateral relations as it marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and New Zealand.
Over the past 45 years, bilateral relations have developed positively and sustainably, especially after the two countries established the comprehensive partnership in September 2009.
Both sides signed the 2013-2016 Action Plan to implement the comprehensive partnership, issued the 2015 Joint Statement on deepening the comprehensive partnership towards the strategic partnership, and inked the 2017-2020 Action Plan on the sidelines of the 2017 APEC Summit in Vietnam.
By the end of 2018, New Zealand had 28 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of approximately US$101.94 million, ranking 41 out of 120 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam had 6 joint venture projects in New Zealand capitalized at US$25.62 million, focusing on processing and manufacturing industries, hotel and catering services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
New Zealand is also an official development assistance (ODA) donor for Vietnam, with the amount of ODA funding increasing annually, from just US$2.3 million in 2003-2004 to about US$7.4 million in 2012-2013, and US$18.6 million in 2015-2018. Its ODA has been funneled through bilateral and multilateral channels, focusing on such areas as human resource development, education and training, sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Both Vietnam and New Zealand are members of important international and regional organizations and forums, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), the Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM), and some ASEAN cooperation mechanisms.
The two sides have supported and closely coordinated in the negotiation and signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). They also agreed to promote the early conclusion of negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).