Vietnam and New Zealand established bilateral diplomatic relations in 1975, lifted them to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2009. They officially upgraded their relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2020.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were both pleased to see that the Vietnam - New Zealand Strategic Partnership is developing effectively.

They expressed their appreciation of the move by both countries to recognise the market for some of each other’s fruit.

They welcomed the signing of cooperation agreements on education and aviation, and held a seminar on promoting educational cooperation between universities.

The two sides also set out directions to deepen the Vietnam - New Zealand Strategic Partnership in the future.

They agreed that Vietnam and New Zealand will continue to strengthen defence and security cooperation to effectively respond to rising traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region, including transnational crime, terrorism, natural disasters, and epidemics.

Economically, Vietnam and New Zealand are set to take two-way trade to 2 billion USD by 2024, continue to facilitate market access for each other’s agricultural products, and effectively implement agreements to which both are members.

Prime Minister Chinh welcomed investment from New Zealand in fields that are in high demand by Vietnam, including education and training, processing technology, manufacturing, agriculture and post-harvest processing technology.

Vietnam and New Zealand reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, with disputes settled by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

After the talks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern witnessed the signing of an education cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training and the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and an agreement on civil aviation cooperation between the Ministries of Transport.

On the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Ardern met the press, announcing the results of their talks.

At this event, the two Prime Ministers exchanged the jerseys of each country’s women’s football team, in the hope that the two teams will be successful at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023./.

VNA