According to Vietnam Plus, Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang held a phone talk with his New Zealand counterpart Peeni Henare on March 9 during which they sought to strengthen defence ties between the two countries in multiple areas.

Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang. (Photo: VNA)

Giang expressed sincere thanks to the Government and the people of New Zealand for supporting Vietnam in the fight against Covid-19. He also informed Henare of Vietnam’s roadmap for staged border reopening post-Covid-19 which is expected to pave the way for closer defense relations between Vietnam and other countries, including New Zealand.

The Vietnamese minister said despite Covid-19 impacts, Vietnam and New Zealand have sustained and expanded the bilateral defense ties in accordance with their signed agreements and the Strategic Partnership for the common benefits of each nation and the region.

He highly spoke of the two ministries' efforts in maintaining high-level exchanges and meetings, citing the Vietnam-New Zealand Defence Policy Dialogue held virtually in December 2020 and this phone talk as examples.

New Zealand Ambassador to Việt Nam, Tredene Dobson (left) announced the launch of several COVID-19 response projects in Việt Nam, which has included US$166,000 of direct financial support to over 3,200 women workers negatively affected by COVID-19. Photo courtesy of the embassy.

He also appreciated the role and contributions of the New Zealand Ministry of Defence at ASEAN-led multilateral defense-security mechanisms, particularly the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM).

Vietnam backs New Zealand to further step up its Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, including the implementation of an action plan in defense and security for 2021-2025.

According to Government News, both sides agreed that there is plenty of room for the bilateral defense ties to grow further on the basis of the Strategic Partnership. They agreed to request the two ministries to continue making plans for future cooperation, with focus placed on increasing high-level delegation exchanges, establishing dialogue channels between the two countries' defense-security officials and scholars, personnel training, cyber security, search and rescue, and medical studies on communicable diseases.

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta sign the Action Program 2021-2024. (Photo: VOV)

They also plan to effectively implement a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation in UN peacekeeping missions and soon start the building of a cooperation plan for the next three years.

"New Zealand and Vietnam are also close partners in a multitude of regional and international fora. Like Vietnam’s experience with chairing ASEAN in 2020, New Zealand’s chairing of APEC 2021 was an extraordinary journey, undertaken during an extraordinary time. However, we could not have achieved what we set out to do without the support, knowledge sharing and enthusiastic participation from other countries, particularly Vietnam’s as a vocal supporter from the very beginning",

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