Hanoi (VNA)♉ - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that Vietnam treasures the development of its relations with New Zealand during talks with his NewZealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern in Hanoi on November 14.

PMChinh congratulated New Zealand on successfully containing the COVID-19 pandemic andrecovering its economy. He thanked New Zealand for offering timely vaccines andmedical supplies to Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic. PM Ardern,for her part, asserted that New Zealand always attaches importance to strengthening ties with Vietnam, one of its key strategic partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region. Thetwo PMs expressed their satisfaction with the effective and practical development of the bilateral relations over the past years. Accordingly, the 2021-2024Action Programme for the implementation of the bilateral strategic partnership hasbeen actively pushed forward with concrete results. Theyagreed to increase the exchange of visits and meetings at all levels via the Party, National Assembly andGovernment channels, well prepare for the upcoming New Zealand visit by NationalAssembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and encourage people-to-people andlocality-to-locality exchanges, and consider the establishment of newcooperation frameworks and mechanisms. Speakinghighly of the positive progress in defence, security and judicial cooperation, both leadersconsented to expand partnerships to other areas such as defence industry; militarymedicine; UN peacekeeping; fight against cyber security, transnational crimes, and terrorism; disaster prevention and control, search and rescue; negotiations towards signing agreements on extradition and transfer of sentenced persons, mutual judicial assistance in criminal and civil matters. Asthere remains ample room to further boost trade ties, they suggested ministries andagencies concerned further open the markets for each other’s farm producetoward raising bilateral trade to 2 billion USD by 2024. The two sides also pledgedto effectively implement regional free trade agreements to which both nations aremembers. TheVietnamese Government will create conditions and encourage New Zealandbusinesses to invest in Vietnam in areas that New Zealand has strength andVietnam has demand such as education and training, manufacturing and processing industry,agriculture, forestry, fishery and construction, PM Chinh said, proposing New Zealand offer all possible support to Vietnamese enterprises todo business in the Pacific country. Thehost hailed New Zealand's continued provision of ODA for Vietnam, focusing on thefields of agriculture, climate change response, health and innovation. Both leaders agreed to continue promoting cooperation in other areas such as education-training,tourism, aviation, culture, tourism, sports, labour, and agro-forestry-fishery. Theywere delighted that the two countries did and will recognise each other’s marketfor several types of fruits. Speakinghighly of the signing of cooperation agreements in education and civiltransport during the visit, they agreed to direct ministries and agenciesconcerned to discuss and sign more deals on tourism and culture, and expand cooperation to new fields like climate change response, digital transformationand green growth. Onthis occasion, PM Ardern informed that New Zealand has decided to temporarilydouble the quota for Vietnamese citizens to join the working holiday programme. Both leaders expressed their support for continued close cooperation and coordination atregional and global forums. PM Ardern asserted that New Zealand treasures thedevelopment of its strategic partnership with ASEAN and alwaysbacks ASEAN’s central role. NewZealand will continue to actively support cooperation in the Mekong sub-regionunder the "Friends of the Mekong" mechanism and is ready to pushforward cooperation between New Zealand and Vietnam, and countries in the South Pacific region, she said. Onthe East Sea issue, the two PMs underscored the importance of maintaining and promoting peace,security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in theEast Sea, promoting dialogue, enhancing trust, and settling disputes via peaceful measures in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Followingthe talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation agreementsbetween the two countries and talked with the press about the results of theirtalks./.