Auckland (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam attended the New Zealand–Vietnam Business Roundtable in Auckland on August 13 as part of his state visit to New Zealand.
The event was attended by New Zealand Minister of Trade and Investment Todd McClay, leaders of ministries and agencies, and representatives of businesses from both countries.
In his opening remarks, McClay said the visit takes place at an important time for bilateral relations. More than five decades since diplomatic ties were established on June 19, 1975, the relationship has developed into a dynamic partnership spanning trade, education, investment, science, innovation and people-to-people exchanges. The elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2025 reflects growing trust, respect and expectations between the two sides.
The minister described Vietnam as one of New Zealand’s important partners in Southeast Asia, highlighting its fast-growing economy, market of more than 100 million people, young workforce and deep integration into global trade. He noted that beyond traditional areas such as agriculture and food, there remains significant potential for cooperation in high-tech agriculture, health technology, education, research and skills development.
The next phase of bilateral economic ties will be increasingly driven by knowledge, technology and innovation, he went on, adding that New Zealand hopes to become a trusted partner of Vietnam in economic modernisation, productivity improvement and sustainable development.
Representatives of businesses from both countries shared practical cooperation stories, highlighting growing complementarities between the two economies. They agreed that collaboration in technology, aviation, market connectivity and innovation is creating new business models and opening up new markets.
Addressing the event, General Secretary and President Lam welcomed the candid and substantive views of the business communities, saying they reflect the spirit of innovation, dynamism and future-oriented thinking that Vietnam encourages.
He called on businesses of both countries to upgrade agricultural and food cooperation through green value chains, with a focus on smart agriculture, biotechnology, deep processing, cold-chain logistics, traceability and branding; and work together to address standards, quarantine and market-access barriers. The goal is not only to increase trade revenue but also to build green, transparent, sustainable and more resilient supply chains.
The top Vietnamese leader also called for joint efforts to create new growth drivers based on science, technology, innovation and green transformation, encouraging New Zealand businesses to view Vietnam not only as a market but also as a partner for research, product development, manufacturing and innovation in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam is ready to serve as a gateway for New Zealand businesses to expand into ASEAN, he said, suggesting New Zealand act as a bridge for Vietnamese enterprises to integrate more deeply into high-quality value chains in the Pacific region.
He underlined the importance of connecting people, knowledge and markets, and urged stronger cooperation among universities, research institutions and businesses in training, applied research, technology transfer, skills development and innovation.
General Secretary and President Lam affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to making improvements to ensure a stable, transparent and competitive investment environment matching international standards, and to facilitating long-term and effective investment by New Zealand businesses, particularly in high-tech agriculture, food processing, education, science – technology, innovation and the green economy.
He stressed that cooperation commitments must soon be translated into concrete programmes, projects and results, noting that the success of bilateral economic ties should be measured not only by trade turnover or the number of projects, but also by the quality of connectivity, technological content, the level of participation in emerging value chains and tangible benefits for businesses and people.
At the roundtable, witnessed by Vietnamese Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan and Minister McClay, representatives of businesses and organisations from the two countries exchanged cooperation documents aimed at turning the agreed directions into concrete initiatives./.
