Auckland (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met the press and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between the two countries in Auckland on August 13.
Speaking to the press, PM Luxon said General Secretary and President Lam’s state visit has produced highly positive results, further advancing the friendship between the two countries in a substantive and effective manner.
Expressing his admiration for Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements in recent years, he said Vietnam–New Zealand relations have continued to grow strongly, with substantive cooperation in numerous areas and further expansion in education and agriculture, generating fresh momentum for bilateral ties.
Looking ahead, PM Luxon said he hopes more businesses from each country will enjoy successful investment and cooperation in the other’s market, particularly in such areas as high-quality human resources training, science – technology, agriculture and the environment.
He also highlighted the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Vietnam’s influence in the region, saying the highly successful visit will help shape Vietnam–New Zealand relations for decades to come.
In his remarks, General Secretary and President Lam stressed that amid a rapidly changing world, the countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continues to be strengthened on the foundation of trusted partnership, shared visions and broad opportunities for cooperation, contributing positively to resilience, dialogue, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world.
Briefing the press on the outcomes of their talks, he said the two sides have reached a number of substantive and concrete results, agreeing to increase exchanges at all levels and promote practical action to ensure that high-level commitments are translated into tangible outcomes.
They also agreed to make strong strides in trade and investment cooperation, commensurate with the potential of the two economies, and create favourable conditions for both sides to jointly move towards the trade target of 3 billion USD at an early date.
Agriculture, the environment, and science – technology are identified as important pillars that align with the development goals of both countries, the Vietnamese leader went on, adding that the two sides agreed to promote a green, low-emission economy, enhance climate-change adaptation, and develop exemplary models of cooperation in agriculture and sustainable development.
Vietnam highly values New Zealand’s practical and effective support for climate-change adaptation in farming in the Mekong Delta, General Secretary and President Lam stated.
Collaboration in education – training, tourism and people-to-people exchanges will also be further expanded, with a focus on developing high-quality human resources for the new development phase, connecting the two peoples through tourism, and encouraging airlines to establish direct air services between Vietnam and New Zealand soon.
The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums; contribute to building an inclusive and rules-based international order; consolidate a peaceful and secure environment serving development; and promote the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he added.
Appreciating New Zealand’s role and active contributions at regional and international mechanisms, Vietnam’s top leader affirmed that the country supports efforts to make ASEAN–New Zealand relations more substantive and effective while upholding the bloc’s centrality.
On the occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between ministries and agencies of the two countries, including an implementation arrangement on peacekeeping cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, the New Zealand Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force; an educational cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the New Zealand Ministry of Education; and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture and the environment, as well as a market-access package between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries.
They also witnessed the exchange of letters on announced grants for the CGIAR Asian Mega Deltas Initiative and the ASEAN Climate Smart Agriculture Initiative./.
