Vietnam, New Zealand continue deepening bilateral relations
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta co-chaired the first Vietnam – New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Wellington on September 14.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: VNA)
Wellington (VNA) – Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta co-chaired the first Vietnam – New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Wellington on September 14.
The meeting was in line with the Action Plan to deploy the Vietnam – New Zealand Strategic Partnership for the 2021-2024 period.
Son, who is on an official visit to New Zealand from September 13-15, affirmed that Vietnam always highly values strengthening ties with New Zealand, a strategic partner of Vietnam in the South Pacific and also a strategic partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Both sides shared the view that since they upgraded the bilateral ties to the strategic partnership in July 2020, practical and effective progress has been seen in their comprehensive cooperation.
🗹 Despite impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade still rose by 26.7% annually in 2021 to 1.3 billion USD. New Zealand committed 26.7 million NZD (16 million USD) in official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam from July 2021 to June 2024. Cooperative ties in the fields of national defence-security, education-training and agriculture have also been promoted.
The ministers agreed to continue consolidating political ties and trust via the exchange of delegations and high-level meetings, maintain bilateral cooperation and dialogue mechanisms, effectively tapping existing economic cooperation mechanisms such as the Joint Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation, the High-Level Dialogue on Agricultural Cooperation, and implement new-generation trade deals such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to which both nations are members.
🌺 Son suggested New Zealand offer all possible support for Vietnam’s farm produce to enter the country, initially fresh lemon, pomelo and longan. He also proposed New Zealand to continue providing ODA for Vietnam in the fields of sustainable agriculture, climate change response, health and innovation.
Mahuta vowed to create conditions for Vietnamese firms to do business in the country in promising fields such as processing, wholesale and retail, and agriculture. The Vietnamese minister asked New Zealand to offer more scholarships to Vietnamese students and officials from Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities, as well as make it easier for Vietnamese students to return to New Zealand following the COVID-19 pandemic. The two sides discussed increasing quotas for Vietnamese citizens under the Working Holiday Visa programme and the resumption of direct flights between the two nations. The host minister pledged to continue assisting Vietnam in training personnel for peacekeeping missions, fighting trans-national crimes, and sharing experience in disaster prevention, control, search and rescue operations. They highlighted the need to bolster ties in climate change response, reduction of greenhouse emissions, forest preservation and development, sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture, fishery cooperation, and marine environment protection.
On regional and global issues, they promised to continue mutual trust and support at multilateral organisations and forums, especially at the United Nations and ASEAN.
🔯 They shared a stance on ensuring peace, stability, security, cooperation and development in the region based on rules, and settling matters, including the East Sea issue, in line with international law, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Mahuta reaffirmed that New Zealand treasures its strategic partnership with ASEAN and will support sub-regional mechanisms./.
The Government of New Zealand has presented two million NZD (nearly 1.26 million USD) from its COVID-19 response fund to support Vietnam’s recovery from the pandemic.
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue described Vietnam - New Zealand cooperation as highly effective and practical while receiving New Zealand Ambassador Tredene Cherie Dobson in Hanoi on June 14.
Vietnam is emerging as a good option for Kiwi exporters looking to diversify where they sell their goods, said New Zealand’s new site 1news.co.nz in a recent article.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son’s official visit to New Zealand from September 13-5 is a chance for the nations to review their strategic partnership, and set out measures to beef up their multifaceted cooperation in line with regional and international developments, Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung has said.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the Central Public Security Party Committee must be fully aware of the extremely important role of the People's Public Security force in the country's new revolutionary phase, so as to guide each branch and level of the force as the nation undergoes transformation.
Addressing concerns over university education spending, Son explained that as public universities gain greater autonomy, the Ministry of Finance has scaled back recurrent state funding. “Over the past decade, as autonomy has increased, the State's support has steadily declined”, he noted
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed that the presence of Vietnamese press offices in Laos vividly demonstrates the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, as the press is not only a means of communication but also an important bridge for spreading consciousness about the history, values, and strategic depth of the Laos – Vietnam relationship to the people of both countries and the international community.
The country is willing to participate in collective efforts to promote cooperation and mobilise resources to advance the current priority issues of developing countries, such as trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, making the most of scientific and technological advances for development, and people-to-people exchanges, Hang said.
During the negotiations, the US highly evaluated Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts, affirmed its appreciation for the bilateral relationship, acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and concerns, and considered these an important basis for continuing discussions and moving towards a final agreement.
The Chairman stressed the need for stricter fiscal discipline, faster digital transformation, and more efficient management of State budget revenues and expenditures.
The ministry has instructed Vietnamese representative agencies in Israel, Iran, as well as those in neighbouring countries, to closely monitor the situation and request local authorities to ensure absolute safety for Vietnamese citizens living, studying, and working in high-risk areas.
Senior Vietnamese leaders on June 19 sent letters of congratulations to New Zealand leaders on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam – New Zealand diplomatic relations (June 19, 1975 – 2025).
The Party chief attributed the achievements in the first half to the continuous, direct, and comprehensive leadership of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, and the close and effective coordination of relevant ministries, sectors and localities.
General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the VPA’s General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defence reaffirmed Vietnam’s unwavering gratitude for Cuba’s invaluable support during its struggle for independence and nation-building efforts, and pledged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cuba as it navigates current challenges.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: VNA) 
