Vietnam, NZ look to stronger cooperative ties on top leader To Lam's state visit
VOV.VN - Vietnam and New Zealand are looking to deepen political trust and forge their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the occasion of a state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and State President To Lam from August 12 to 14, at the invitation of Governor-General Cindy Kiro.
The visit, taking place from August 12 to 14 immediately following his trip to Australia, marks To Lam's first official journey to New Zealand in his new capacity.
The trip aims to bolster political trust, broaden the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and carry bilateral relations toward greater practical efficacy.
Vietnam and New Zealand established a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009, raised ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2020, and officially elevated the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in February 2025. This milestone moved bilateral cooperation into a more substantive phase. The upgrade demonstrates a strong commitment from both nations to achieve concrete results that directly benefit their people and businesses.
Economic, trade, and investment cooperation forms a core pillar of bilateral relations. Vietnam is currently New Zealand's 12th largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching US$844 million in the first half of 2026.
Both sides are actively implementing the five pillars of the 2025-2030 Action Plan under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, working toward a US$3 billion trade target.
Regarding official development assistance (ODA), New Zealand maintains a stable and steadily increasing annual allocation for Vietnam, averaging approximately NZ$30 million. This support focuses on projects in agriculture, climate change adaptation, education, and dam and dike safety in several localities.
Defence and security collaboration continues to grow. New Zealand assists Vietnam with training courses in counter-terrorism, forensics, criminal investigation, anti-money laundering, high-tech crime prevention, and human trafficking control. The two countries also maintain specialized English training for peacekeeping operations, naval vessel visits, and regular bilateral defence dialogues.
Cooperation across other fields, including education, labor, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, has also yielded encouraging outcomes. Education is a prominent area, with an increasing number of Vietnamese students choosing New Zealand for its high educational standards and attractive scholarship programs.
Bilateral relations are entering their best-ever period, with both nations regarding each other as top regional partners. This progress rests on deep political trust and consolidated strategic confidence cultivated for over half a century, sustained by the firm political resolve and sincere affection of top leaders, as well as growing friendship between their people.
Building on this painstakingly nurtured foundation alongside strong joint determination, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will expand more robustly and deeply, delivering greater practical benefits to the people of both countries.
Top leader To Lam's New Zealand visit to give fresh impetus to strategic ties
VOV.VN - Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Phan Minh Giang expects Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's state visit on August 12-14 to open new momentum for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both sides looking to translate the upgraded framework into more substantive cooperation.
Top leader’s state visit to give fresh impetus to Vietnam–New Zealand ties: expert
The upcoming state visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam to New Zealand is an important opportunity for the two countries to advance the substantive implementation of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
