On the morning of August 13 in Auckland, New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro presided over the welcoming ceremony for Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, the ceremony was conducted with the formal protocol accorded to foreign heads of state on state visits to New Zealand, comprising a traditional Maori welcome and an official ceremony.

During the traditional Maori welcome, two Maori elders greeted To Lam with the hongi, the customary Maori greeting, before inviting him to take part in the traditional welcoming ritual.

A Maori warrior performed with a weapon before placing a wooden ceremonial weapon on the ground in front of To Lam. The Vietnamese leader picked it up and held it throughout the ceremony. As he collected the wooden weapon, he maintained eye contact with the Maori warrior.

The warrior then invited To Lam and the Vietnamese delegation to proceed to the area for the official welcome.

Maori performers continued with traditional dances, using movement, expressions, songs and calls in the Maori language to convey their joy in welcoming the visitors and to honor the connection between hosts and guests.

To Lam then performed the traditional hongi greeting once more, touching noses with his hosts, bringing the traditional Maori welcome to a close.

At the official ceremony, Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro welcomed To Lam on his state visit to New Zealand. The guard commander gave the order for the formal proceedings to continue as the military band played Vietnam’s national anthem.

Following the welcoming ceremony, To Lam held talks with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. He also witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents and met with the press.

To Lam’s visit comes as Vietnam enters a new phase of development, with priorities including high-quality human resources, high-value agriculture and green growth.

These are areas in which New Zealand has considerable experience and an international reputation, and where the two countries have already developed effective cooperation. At the same time, substantial potential remains for the two sides to further expand their partnership.

A notable feature of Vietnam-New Zealand relations is the complementary nature of their economies, creating considerable room for cooperation that supports the sustainable development of both countries.

The visit aims to deepen bilateral relations and make cooperation more substantive, with the two sides seeking to advance concrete partnerships in education, agriculture, trade and sustainable development.

The goal is to translate political commitments into tangible benefits, programs and projects that serve each country’s development objectives while contributing to peace, stability, sustainable development and regional resilience.

Tran Thuong