National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue meets with Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro. Photo: VNA

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that Vietnam always pays great attention to promoting all-round partnership with New Zealand, during a meeting with Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro in Wellington on December 5, VNA reported.

The top legislator underlined the significance of his visit, the first by a high-ranking leader of Vietnam to New Zealand after the 13th National Party Congress and the Covid-19 pandemic put under control. He noted that Vietnam is the first strategic partnership of New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two sides held that with the foundation of the nearly 50-year ties and 13-year comprehensive partnership and a strategic partnership since 2020, along with the official visit to Vietnam by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden in November, this visit will help further deepen the relationship between the two countries.

NA Chairman Hue said he hopes Vietnam and New Zealand will promote collaboration through the Party, Government, parliament and people-to-people exchange channels.

Kiro underlined that the relationship with Vietnam has a strategic importance to New Zealand, suggesting that the two sides further bolster their partnership amid a changing world for the interest of both peoples as well as for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.

She said that after the pandemic was put under control, 14,000 New Zealand tourists travelled Vietnam and the figure is likely to continue to rise in the time to come.

She congratulated Vietnam on the achievements that the country has gained so far, and expressed her hope to visit Vietnam soon.

The two sides agreed that the strategic partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand has been growing, even during the pandemic period, with regular high-level meetings, contributing to reinforcing their political trust and motivating the bilateral cooperation in all fields.

An overview of the meeting. Photo: VNA

Two-way trade has reached USD 1.3 million and is heading to the target of USD 2 billion in 2024, they noted, adding that cooperation in the fields of agriculture, labour, education and people-to-people exchanges has also continued to be promoted.

NA Chairman Hue told Governor-General Kiro that during this visit, he will witness the exchange of an agreement on the import of New Zealand’s strawberry and pumpkin to Vietnam, and during the recent Vietnam visit by PM Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand also agreed to import pomelo and lemon from Vietnam.

The two sides concurred to further increase the exchange of delegations at all levels and through all channels in the time to come, while promoting the bilateral partnership in all fields besides traditional areas such as security, defence, education-training, agriculture, and labour.

They will expand the cooperation to other potential fields such as climate change response and digital transformation, while continuing to support and coordinat with each other at regional and international forums.

NA Chairman Hue thanked New Zealand for assisting Vietnamese citizens during the pandemic, and expressed his hope that the New Zealand Government will continue backing the Vietnamese community in the country to settle down, integrate into the local society and make contributions to the host country and the growth of bilateral ties.

The same day, Chairman Hue attended an economic cooperation forum in Wellington during which he shared New Zealand businesses’ view that apart from traditional cooperation areas, the two countries can expand collaboration to many other spheres such as startups, innovation, digital transformation, digital economy, digital society, and just energy transition, which are also global issues that Vietnam is focusing on.

Vietnam views the successes of New Zealand enterprises and other foreign investors as its own, Hue stated.

Addressing the forum, New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’ Connor stressed the two countries share many similarities, and Vietnam is a big market for his country.

He held that agricultural relations are bearing fruit as the two sides have opened their markets to some of each other’s fruits. Besides, they also have many experiences to share in such spheres as education, agriculture, technology, culture, and sustainable development to promote their strategic partnership.

Many New Zealand enterprises operating in the fields of intellectual property and manufacturing are also seeking cooperation opportunities in Vietnam, he said.

At the forum, Chairman Hue and officials of the two countries witnessed a representative of the Vietnamese Government handing over an agreement on importing New Zealand’s strawberries and pumpkins to Vietnam to a representative of the New Zealand Government.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue meets representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand. Photo: VNA

Chairman Hue also had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand as part of his official visit to the country.

On behalf of the Party and State, NA Chairman Hue praised efforts by the Vietnamese associations to help each other and enhance connection in the host country, preserve Vietnamese language and culture, and their contributions to the homeland.

He urged the Vietnamese community in News Zealand to further promote solidarity, strictly comply with law of the host country, make more contributions to the homeland’s development, and become a solid bridge for the Vietnam - New Zealand Strategic Partnership.

There are about 11,000 Vietnamese living, working and studying in New Zealand, mostly in Auckland.

There are about 2,000 Vietnamese students in New Zealand, and about 25 officials from Vietnamese ministries and agencies are sent to the country each year for training under a cooperation programme between the two nations.

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