The trip aims to maintain, strengthen, and expand friendship and cooperative relations between Hanoi and cities of New Zealand and Australia.

In New Zealand, Deputy Secretary Nguyen Van Phong thanked the Wellington City Council for the warm welcome and affirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and New Zealand, which is considered the basis and foundation for the cooperative relationship between Hanoi and localities of New Zealand to be further promoted in the coming time.

Deputy Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong and Wellington City Council member (New Zealand) Tim Brown and delegates at the working session.

Deputy Secretary Nguyen Van Phong proposed that the two capitals strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Some include the exchange of high-level delegations, business delegations, organizations, and universities of Wellington to Hanoi to explore new cooperation and investment opportunities between the two sides; and the scholarship programs for Vietnamese students. providing training courses to improve English proficiency for Vietnamese teachers, art and cultural exchanges, promoting cooperation in the field of cultural industry, innovation, and sharing experiences in the network of creative cities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of which both Hanoi and Wellington are members.

Visiting and working at the Wellington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Deputy Secretary Phong said that this is one focus of Hanoi City’s strategy. He hoped that the Center would promote cooperation with Hanoi City agencies in the field of startups, supporting small and medium enterprises, innovation in fields such as education, public services, consulting on public policy development, and welfare policies in society. He also suggested the Center proceed to open a representative office in Hanoi City.

Visiting Victoria University, the Deputy Secretary emphasized that educational cooperation is one of the bright spots. Hanoi proposed to promote cooperation and exchange with the University by organizing English training programs for officials and civil servants of Hanoi city, as well as promoting the establishment of training facilities and the University’s brand in Hanoi.

Visiting the Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong updated the socio-economic development achievements of Hanoi city in recent times. At the same time, he hoped that the Embassy would continue to be a bridge to coordinate and promote the image of Hanoi to international friends, enhance cooperation in fields of mutual interests such as higher education, training experts in information technology and digital transformation, cultural exchange events, cultural industry development, import and export of agricultural products.