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.
Vietnam and New Zealand are working toward a breakthrough to achieve a bilateral trade target of 3 billion USD by 2026. Education and training will remain a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with diverse joint programmé and attractive scholarships to build a high-quality workforce for the future.
The new halal cooperation arrangement will streamline halal certification and product assurance processes, making it easier for New Zealand exporters to access the Indonesian market.
As Vietnam and New Zealand are part of the Asia-Pacific region, “finding common ground is essential, as is being honest about the reasons for any points of difference”, said former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam James Kember.
The new agreement is expected to drive growth in the 2.68 billion NZD (1.59 billion USD) bilateral trade and expand the 48 million NZD worth of sawn timber New Zealand currently ships to Vietnam.
Defence cooperation is a key pillar of the Vietnam – New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the two sides have expanded their ties to a new field which is to provide support for UN peacekeeping forces.
A photo exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN–New Zealand Dialogue Partnership officially opened on May 8 at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The New Zealand Herald has run an article by journalist Cath Johnsen affirming that Vietnam offers one of the kindest cultures in the world.
Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy Kiro suggested Vietnam and New Zealand promote exchanges between businesses and residents, while trengthening coordination and cooperation at regional and international multilateral forums.
House of Travel, the largest travel company in New Zealand, said it has seen a significant 130% year-on-year increase in holiday bookings to Hanoi by New Zealanders, alongside a 32% rise for Bali and 11% for Tokyo.
The Vietnamese leader emphasised that in the face of fluctuations in the international economic and trade situation, Vietnam is calm, not panicked, not subjective or negligent, and is ready to proactively adapt in any circumstances.
ASEAN countries and New Zealand affirmed the importance of bilateral relations, stressing that the two sides share many common concerns, interests, and visions on regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet affirmed the long-standing and resilient ties between ASEAN and New Zealand, built on mutual trust, respect, and shared values of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region. Over the past five decades, their relationship has expanded comprehensively and inclusively across multiple sectors under the four cooperation pillars of peace, prosperity, people, and planet.
In the article, author Alexia Russell described Vietnam as one of the hottest travel destinations in the world right now, with international tourist numbers surging by 43% in 2024.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc expressed his hope that PM Christopher Luxon’s visit will accelerate investment cooperation from New Zealand enterprises in the coming time.
Two-way trade grew 40% in the last five years. But now is the right time for us to upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the press.
Other prominent New Zealand news outlets, including rnz.co.nz, 1news.co.nz, and scoop.co.nz, also featured the announcement, highlighting the elevation of the bilateral relationship.
Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the strong development of bilateral ties, emphasising the growing political trust and strategic confidence strengthened through the exchange of delegations at all levels as well as people-to-people exchanges, and effective bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
PM Chinh emphasised that with the official upgrade of bilateral relations, Vietnam and New Zealand have entered a new chapter in their partnership.
A joint statement on the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was issued on the occasion of the official visit to Vietnam of Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon from February 25-28.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that New Zealand has eight universities ranked among the top 2% of the highest-quality institutions globally. If Vietnamese students are looking for a place to experience high-quality English-language education, New Zealand is undoubtedly a prime choice, he stated.
During his visit, PM Luxon is scheduled to hold official talks with PM Chinh, pay courtesy calls on senior leaders of the Vietnamese Party, State, and National Assembly, and visit key economic, cultural, and educational establishments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon expressed optimism about his official visit to Vietnam, while emphasising the Southeast Asian economy's importance to New Zealand exporters. He described Vietnam as a huge opportunity for New Zealand and the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia.
The Auckland University of Technology (AUT) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City University of Science (VNU-HCMUS) that extends a historic relationship with a new focus on research activity in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, and human-computer interaction.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the trip, Emeritus Professor Roberto Rabel from the Centre for Strategic Studies under New Zealand’s Victoria University of Wellington said that Luxon’s first visit to Vietnam as New Zealand Prime Minister is significant in providing him with the opportunity to see at first hand the vibrant socio-economic environment that has characterised Vietnam’s development in recent years.