National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has thankedNew Zealand for assisting Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by providing vaccines and financial support for the Southeast Asian country.
Meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Hanoi on November November14, NAChairman Hue expressed his delight at the development of bilateral and multilateralcooperation between the two legislatures over the past years, with the establishmentof the Vietnam-New Zealand Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group by the 15th Vietnamese NA, and the New Zealand-Pacific Parliamentary Friendship Group by the NewZealand Parliament.
Heproposed the two sides increase the exchange of visits and cooperation between parliamentarycommittees and friendship parliamentarians’ groups of the two countries toshare information and experience, toward signing a cooperation agreementbetween the two legislatures.
The two sides should continue mutual support and close coordination at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU),the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the Asia-Europe ParliamentaryPartnership Meeting (ASEP), the top legislator said.
The Vietnamese NA will monitor the implementation of signedagreements, including the 2021-2024 Action Programme for the implementation ofthe bilateral strategic partnership and two agreements signed during the visit, he said.
Callingfor enhanced cooperation in new fields such as energy transition and digitaltransformation, NA Chairman Hue said the Vietnamese NA is incorporating the UN’ssustainable development goals 2030 into the country's socio-economic development plansand programmes while studying cooperation in technology and green growth tosupport energy transition and digital transformation.
PM Ardern,for her part, said the target of 2 billion USD in two-way trade before 2025 isreachable. During the visit, New Zealand officially recognised the opening of its market for Vietnamese lemon and pomelo and agreed to create favourable conditionsfor Vietnamese farm produce to enter the New Zealand market in the near future, sheadded.
Apartfrom agriculture, financial technology, cooperation and services are also important fields to raise two-way trade, according to the PM.
She held that the two countries should further enhance people-to-people exchanges toraise mutual understanding by increasing the number of Vietnamese students studying inthe Pacific nation.
According to the PM, the two nations could step up cooperation in health care andeconomy. New Zealand is committed to increasing finance in climate changeresponse, with priorities given to several areas. Together with climate finance, NewZealand wants to work with agricultural countries, including Vietnam, toreduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
Onregional and global issues of shared concern, the two leaders underscored the importanceof promoting dialogue, enhancing trust and settling disputes by peacefulmeasures in accordance with international law.
Onthis occasion, NA Chairman Hue asked PM Ardern to convey his regards to Speaker of the House of RepresentativesAdrian Rurawhe./.
