New Zealand’s Speaker of the House of Representatives Trevor Mallard presented a gift to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at their meeting in Auckland on March 13. (Photo: VNA) Auckland (VNA) –Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a meeting with New Zealand’s Speaker of theHouse of Representatives Trevor Mallard on March 13 during which both leadersagreed that the two countries’ legislations should maintain traditionalcooperation and close coordination at international and regional parliamentaryforums.
PM Phuc andSpeaker Mallard expressed their delight at the development of Vietnam – New Zealandrelations in recent years, notably the two-way trade which is likely to hit1.7–2 billion USD in 2020.
They agreed tosoon upgrade the bilateral ties to the level of Strategic Partnership and held thatthe two nations must step up practical and specific measures to boostcooperation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, aviation connectivityand people-to-people exchanges.
The two leadersstressed the need for the two parliaments to increase the exchange ofhigh-level visits and coordinate together in supervising the implementation ofthe two countries’ agreements.
[Vietnam, New Zealand agree to boost all-round cooperation]
Mallard, whoinitiated the Vietnam–New Zealand educational agreement, said that New Zealandwants to attract more Vietnamese students to study in areas of its strengthlike information technology, biotechnology and hospitality.
He expressedhis admiration for Vietnam’s important achievements in socio-economicdevelopment and implementation of foreign policy in the recent past.
The Speakersaid he was pleased with the outcomes of the earlier talks between PM NguyenXuan Phuc and his NZ counterpart JacindaArdern, believing that these positive results would lay an important foundationfor bilateral relations to develop more strongly in the coming time.
PM Phuc conveyedChairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s invitationto Mallard to visit Vietnam at a convenient time. Meanwhile, Mallard reiteratedhis invitation to Ngan to pay a visit to New Zealand soon.
After themeeting, PM Phuc and his entourage attended a banquet hosted by SpeakerMallard.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc is on an official visit to NewZealand from March 12-14. In the morning of March 13, he was welcomed by NewZealand’s traditional Maori greeting and a 19-gun salute during an officialceremony chaired by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern in Auckland city.
Following the ceremony, PM Phuc and PM Ardern held talks. At the end ofthe talks, the PMs witnessed the signing of three important documents,including an agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and NewZealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on economic and tradecooperation; a deal between Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and NewZealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries on cooperation in food safety and qualitymanagement; a strategic cooperation plan between Vietnam’s Ministry ofEducation and Training and New Zealand educational agency on education andtraining for 2018-2020.- VNA
VNA
