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President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 16 held separate meetings with ambassadors of New Zealand, Argentina, Pakistan and Romania who came to present their credentials. Photo: VNA

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 16 held separate meetings with ambassadors of New Zealand, Argentina, Pakistan and Romania who came to present their credentials, reported VNA.

Presenting credentials is always a special occasion for an ambassador but this was extra special for Ambassador Dobson because she was able to wear a beautiful collaboration between New Zealand and Vietnamese artists.

This was the ambassador’s first experience wearing a traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai – created by Quyen Nguyen and painted with a design by a young New Zealand artist, RaeRae Hemara, according to the New Zealand Embassy.

Hemara is an arts student living in Whangarei in New Zealand – with whakapapa (ancestral) ties to Ngāpuhi, Ngati Wharara, Ngati Kaharau, Te Uri Taniwha, Ngati Hineira and also Samoa.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (left) and Ambassador of New Zealand Tredene Cherie Dobson. Photo: VNA

Dobson, a career diplomat since 2003, has previously served as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Iraq. She has also had previous postings in Indonesia and South Korea. Photo: VNA

Not only does herr ao dai honours the national cultural beauty, the designs also display cultural exchange with New Zealand. Source: Zing News

Māori culture is a rich tradition carried out for 100's of years in New Zealand. Source: Zing News

The ambassador commissioned the design around the theme of connectivity. And the final collaboration connects both New Zealand to Vietnam and the ambassador.

She is Māori, to her tūrangawaewae (place to stand) which is revealed in the five peaks of her mountain, Mount Manaia in Te Tai Tokerau (in the far north of New Zealand) which can be seen in the five triangles depicted in the design. The design also connects New Zealand and Vietnam through the beautiful lotus flower.

The ambassador is also wearing a korowai – a traditional Māori cloak which was woven by traditional Ngāpuhi weavers – which the ambassador also has links to.

The ambassador traces her own whakapapa to Patuharakeke through her Father and Tainui through her Mother.

“Wearing this beautiful piece of art – this collaboration between two amazing young female artists, one in New Zealand and one in Vietnam – it just makes me feel incredibly proud. It is a privilege to serve as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Vietnam, and wearing my ao dai with its stunning Māori design and korowai today – genuinely connects me to these two incredible countries,” shared Dobson.

At a reception, the ambassador pledged to make every effort to contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations, and support Vietnamese firms to access the New Zealand market.

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