Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, Food Safety, and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc suggested New Zealand support Vietnam to build a value chain fordragon fruit while receiving Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, FoodSafety, and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor in Hanoi on August 29.
The PM welcomed Minister O’Connor, who is also Ministerof Trade and Export Growth, to visit Vietnam and recalled his successful visitto New Zealand in March 2018.
He took this occasion to thank New Zealand forproviding official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam over the past time.
The bilateral cooperation potential remainshuge, including the production of Vietnamese avocado for exports, he said.
New Zealand is hoped to help Vietnam organiseproduction and create a value chain for Vietnamese dragon fruit to boostexports of this fruit to the world, the PM said.
The guest expressed his impression on thedynamic development of Vietnam and said he some working sessions withVietnamese ministries, departments and localities to seek strongercollaboration in agriculture and other fields.
He agreed with the PM’s proposal of building avalue chain for Vietnamese dragon fruit and boasted that New Zealand has beensuccessful in developing a value chain for its kiwi from the selection of goodvarieties to preservation and overseas shipment.
New Zealand is willing to support Vietnam inthis field as well as in the management of food safety and other realms, heaffirmed.
PM Phuc stressed that Vietnam always attachesgreat importance to the ASEAN-New Zealand strategic partnership and revealedthat Vietnam will be Chair of ASEAN in 2020 – the year marking the 45thfounding anniversary of the bilateral partnership and fifth anniversary of thestrategic partnership.
He asked New Zealand to closely work withVietnam to host conferences between ASEAN and its partners.
The PM added that Vietnam is determined toratify the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP) in 2018 and hopes New Zealand will soon ratify this pact.
He urged the two countries to promotecooperation in trade and investment, especially increasing the bilateral tradewhich remains modest at present.-VNA
VNA
