PM Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with then New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China, on June 27, 2023. (Photo: VNA) Thevisit, following PM Chinh’s attendance in the special summit commemorating the50th anniversary of the ASEAN - Australia dialogue relations and his official visit to Australia, willbe made at the invitation of his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon. It is Chinh’s first visit to NewZealand as the Government leader of Vietnam.
Thetwo countries established diplomatic ties on June 19, 1975. Bilateral relations were elevated to a comprehensivepartnership in September 2009 and then a strategic partnership in July 2020.
Theyhave maintained meetings and delegation exchanges at all levels, bilateralcooperation mechanisms, along with close coordination and mutual support atimportant regional and international organisations and forums such as theUnited Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Asia-Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC) Forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Effectiveand mutually beneficial cooperation in economy, trade, and investment is considereda focus and driver of bilateral ties.
Vietnam is currently the 14th largest trade partner of New Zealand. It ranks 13th among the exporters of goods to and 17th among the importers of commodities fromthe latter. Bilateral trade sustained good growth to top 1.3 billion USD in 2021despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts. It stood at 1.4 billion USD in 2022,1.3 billion USD in 2023, and 113 million USD in January 2024, statistics show.
Vietnam’s main exports to New Zealand include telephones andcomponents, computers, electronic products and components, aquatic products,cashew nut, and footwear. Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian country mainly importsmilk and dairy products, fruits, timber, textile - garment and footwear materials,machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, and steel from the South Pacificnation.
As of November 2023, New Zealand had invested in 52 projectsworth 208.35 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 39th among the 143countries and territories investing in the latter. Meanwhile, Vietnam now has10 investment projects with registered capital totaling 37.8 million USD inNew Zealand.
New Zealand’s official development assistance (ODA) forVietnam has gradually increased over years, from 3.2 million NZD (2.3 millionUSD) in the 2003 - 2004 fiscal year to 10.5 million NZD in 2012 - 2013, and26.66 million NZD in 2015 - 2018. It pledged 26.7 million NZD in non-refundableODA for the period from July 1, 2021 to July 30, 2024, with a focus onagriculture, climate change response, education, and COVID-19 response.
Educational cooperation is a highlight of bilateral relations. Learning inNew Zealand is now a popular choice of Vietnamese students who number about3,000 there at present.
Besides, people-to-people exchanges and the partnerships inlabour, agriculture, security - defence, and culture are also among the prioritiesof bilateral ties. The two countries are implementing some new cooperationareas like climate change fight, digital transformation, and energy transition.
There are about 11,000 Vietnamese people in New Zealand, mainlyin Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.
Thecooperation results obtained so far are considered a positive basis for thecountries to foster cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral aspects soas to reap tangible outcomes on the threshold of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations and the fifth anniversary of thestrategic partnership in 2025.
Deputy Minister of ForeignAffairs Do Hung Viet said that during PM Chinh’s visit to New Zealand, the twocountries will continue discussing measures for further strengthening collaboration,including in trade, investment, people-to-people links, labour, education -training, agriculture, and expansion of their markets to each other’s high-qualityfarm produce./.
VNA
