PM Chinh congratulated New Zealand on successfully containing the COVID-19 pandemic and recovering its economy. He thanked New Zealand for offering timely vaccines and medical supplies to Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic.

PM Ardern, for her part, asserted that New Zealand always attaches importance to strengthening ties with Vietnam, one of its key strategic partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region.

The two PMs expressed their satisfaction with the effective and practical development of the bilateral relations over the past years. Accordingly, the 2021-2024 Action Programme for the implementation of the bilateral strategic partnership has been actively pushed forward with concrete results.

They agreed to increase the exchange of visits and meetings at all levels via the Party, National Assembly and Government channels, well prepare for the upcoming New Zealand visit by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and encourage people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges, and consider the establishment of new cooperation frameworks and mechanisms.

Speaking highly of the positive progress in defence, security and judicial cooperation, both leaders consented to expand partnerships to other areas such as defence industry; military medicine; UN peacekeeping; fight against cyber security, transnational crimes, and terrorism; disaster prevention and control, search and rescue; negotiations towards signing agreements on extradition and transfer of sentenced persons, mutual judicial assistance in criminal and civil matters.

As there remains ample room to further boost trade ties, they suggested ministries and agencies concerned further open the markets for each other’s farm produce toward raising bilateral trade to 2 billion USD by 2024. The two sides also pledged to effectively implement regional free trade agreements to which both nations are members.

The Vietnamese Government will create conditions and encourage New Zealand businesses to invest in Vietnam in areas that New Zealand has strength and Vietnam has demand such as education and training, manufacturing and processing industry, agriculture, forestry, fishery and construction, PM Chinh said, proposing New Zealand offer all possible support to Vietnamese enterprises to do business in the Pacific country.

The host hailed New Zealand's continued provision of ODA for Vietnam, focusing on the fields of agriculture, climate change response, health and innovation.

Both leaders agreed to continue promoting cooperation in other areas such as education-training, tourism, aviation, culture, tourism, sports, labour, and agro-forestry-fishery. They were delighted that the two countries did and will recognise each other’s market for several types of fruits.

Speaking highly of the signing of cooperation agreements in education and civil transport during the visit, they agreed to direct ministries and agencies concerned to discuss and sign more deals on tourism and culture, and expand cooperation to new fields like climate change response, digital transformation and green growth.

On this occasion, PM Ardern informed that New Zealand has decided to temporarily double the quota for Vietnamese citizens to join the working holiday programme.

Both leaders expressed their support for continued close cooperation and coordination at regional and global forums. PM Ardern asserted that New Zealand treasures the development of its strategic partnership with ASEAN and always backs ASEAN’s central role.

New Zealand will continue to actively support cooperation in the Mekong sub-region under the "Friends of the Mekong" mechanism and is ready to push forward cooperation between New Zealand and Vietnam, and countries in the South Pacific region, she said.

On the East Sea issue, the two PMs underscored the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, promoting dialogue, enhancing trust, and settling disputes via peaceful measures in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries and talked with the press about the results of their talks.

Vietnamese, New Zealand PMs witness signing of deals following talks

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the two sides' agencies following their talks in Hanoi on November 14.

The deals were inked the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and between the Vietnamese and New Zealand ministries of transport.

Speaking to the press, PM Chinh said he and his New Zealand counterpart had held successful talks during which they expressed their delight at the growing bilateral strategic partnership, especially in two-way trade.

Both sides were agreed they will recognise markets for several fruits. They lauded the signing of cooperation deals in education and aviation as well as the organisation of a seminar on education cooperation between universities.

They laid out orientations to further deepening the Vietnam-New Zealand strategic partnership for the benefits of each country and for peace, prosperity, cooperation and development in Asia-Pacific.

The countries will facilitate all-level visits, promote people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges, while effectively implementing existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms. They agreed to make thorough preparations for the upcoming New Zealand visit by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, he said.

He added that both nations will continue stepping up national defence-security links to effectively cope with rising traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region, including transnational crimes, terrorism, natural disasters and epidemics.

They targeted 2 billion USD in two-way trade by 2024, pledged to continue facilitating market access for agricultural products, work closely together to effectively implement agreements such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to which they are members while further enhancing two-way investment.

Vietnam welcomes New Zealand’s investment in fields of high demand such as education-training, manufacturing and processing, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, construction, information technology, and post-harvest processing technology, he said, adding that Vietnam appreciates New Zealand’s continued provision of official development assistance (ODA) for the country in education-training, rural development and other areas.

Further attention will be paid to promoting dialogue, trust building and mutually beneficial cooperation, joint effective response to common challenges in the region, propelling cooperation in the Mekong sub-region, particularly in climate change response, smart agriculture and fisheries, sustainable management of water resources, quality infrastructure and digital transformation.

Vietnam and New Zealand reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully respect diplomatic and legal processes, seriously and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) towards soon achieving an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

"Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with New Zealand, an important strategic partner of Vietnam in the South Pacific region, and also a strategic partner of ASEAN," the Vietnamese PM said.

In her speech, New Zealand PM Ardern said during their talks, both sides vowed to enhance links across politics, diplomacy, security, trade, investment, climate change response, and people-to-people exchange to ensure the security, safety and prosperity of each country.

New Zealand decided to expand a project to help Vietnam mitigate dyke disaster risks and stays ready to assist Vietnam in sustainable eco-friendly agriculture development and climate change response to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, she said.

Vietnam plays an increasingly important role in the region and the world, she said.

Both PMs also exchanged jerseys of each country's women's football teams with the hope that they will play well at the FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023./. VNA