Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes Vietnam and New Zealand will work to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership, during a reception in Hanoi on February 22 for the new Ambassador of New Zealand, Wendy Irene Matthews.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) recevies new Ambassador of New Zealand, Wendy Irene Matthews 

The PM suggested increasing high-level delegation exchanges, adding that he hopes to welcome the New Zealand Prime Minister at the APEC Economic Leaders’ meeting 2017 in Vietnam.

He noted that Vietnam wants to cooperate with New Zealand in the field of agriculture, energy, agro-fisheries processing industry, support industry, climate change adaptation and defence-security.

PM Phuc said he hopes two-way trade will increase from the current 700 million USD to 3-5 billion USD during the term of Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews, and asked the Ambassador to serve as a bridge to help more New Zealand businesses to go to Vietnam to share experience and explore investment opportunities.

He also mentioned cooperation potential in tourism and education.

For her part, Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews said she will spare no effort to boost the two countries’ relations across economics, politics, diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges, in a bid to lift the bilateral ties to strategic partnership.

She highlighted education and agriculture as two key pillars in the two countries’ relations, saying New Zealand will continue providing scholarships to Vietnamese students and English training for Vietnamese officials.

New Zealand has strength in agriculture and hopes to cooperate with Vietnam in this field, especially clean vegetable and dragon fruit, she added.

VNA