An overview of the meeting. (Photo: VNA) The top legislator underlined the significance ofhis visit, the first by a high-ranking leader of Vietnam to New Zealand after the 13th National Party Congress and the COVID-19 pandemic put under control. He noted that Vietnamis the first strategic partnership of New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific region.
The two sides held that with the foundation of the nearly50-year ties and 13-year comprehensive partnership and a strategic partnershipsince 2020, along with the official visit to Vietnam by New Zealand PrimeMinister Jacinda Arden in November, this visit will help further deepen the relationshipbetween the two countries.
NA Chairman Hue said he hopes Vietnam and New Zealand will promotecollaboration through the Party, Government, parliament and people-to-peopleexchange channels.
Kiro underlined that the relationship with Vietnam has astrategic importance to New Zealand, suggesting that the two sides furtherbolster their partnership amid a changing world for the interest of bothpeoples as well as for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
She said that after the pandemic was put under control, 14,000 NewZealand tourists travelled Vietnam and the figure is likely to continue to risein the time to come. She congratulated Vietnam on the achievements that the countryhas gained so far, and expressed her hope to visit Vietnam soon.
The two sides agreed that the strategic partnership betweenVietnam and New Zealand has been growing, even during the pandemic period, withregular high-level meetings, contributing to reinforcing their political trustand motivating the bilateral cooperation in all fields.
Two-way trade has reached 1.3 million USD and is heading to the target of 2 billion USD in 2024, they noted, adding that cooperationin the fields of agriculture, labour, education and people-to-people exchangeshas also continued to be promoted.
NA Chairman Hue told Governor-General Kiro that during thisvisit, he will witness the exchange of an agreement on the import of NewZealand’s strawberry and pumpkin to Vietnam, and during the recentVietnam visit by PM Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand also agreed to importpomelo and lemon from Vietnam.
The two sides concurred to further increase the exchange ofdelegations at all levels and through all channels in the time to come, whilepromoting the bilateral partnership in all fields besides traditional areassuch as security, defence, education-training, agriculture, and labour. They will expand the cooperation to other potential fields such as climatechange response and digital transformation, while continuing to support and coordinat with each other at regional and international forums.
NA Chairman Hue thanked New Zealand for assisting Vietnamesecitizens during the pandemic, and expressed his hope that the New ZealandGovernment will continue backing the Vietnamese community in the country tosettle down, integrate into the local society and make contributions to thehost country and the growth of bilateral ties./.
VNA
