New Zealand's Ambassador Viet Nam Tredene Dobson has spoken to us about the progress of the bilateral ties and her life in the current pandemic time in Viet Nam.

New Zealand's Ambassador to Viet Nam Tredene Dobson.
Photo credit: New Zealand Embassy in Viet Nam

How has the pandemic affected your work in Viet Nam? What have you and your Embassy staff done in this hard time to seek ways to sustain the bilateral relations between Viet Nam and New Zealand?

Ambassador Tredene Dobson: I am pleased to say that despite the pandemic and all of the challenges that has thrown at us, the Viet Nam – New Zealand relationship has continued to thrive. 

With the successful launch of the New Zealand - Viet Nam Strategic Partnership in July last year, our two Prime Ministers laid out the challenge of how we can deepen and broaden our relationship. That’s why the New Zealand Embassy in Viet Nam is working very hard with Vietnamese partners to describe our ambitions for the Strategic Partnership in a detailed action plan. This will guide both countries and help ensure the relationship continues on the great trajectory it is now. 

The most ambitious plan is for both sides to increase the level of two-way trade to US$2 billion (NZ$2.8 million) by 2024. And we are on track to achieve that. Despite the disruptions we’ve seen to trade in the last eighteen months, I am pleased to report that two-way merchandise trade between our countries reached NZD$1.95 billion by March this year. We have been pleased to see that this growth has remained resilient in the face of the pandemic, and Viet Nam remains New Zealand’s 14th largest trading partners. 

The imports and exports from both sides are fairly evenly matched, demonstrating that we are growing trade together. New Zealand’s exports to Viet Nam have seen good growth in a number of sectors, particularly in food and beverage, with over 25 per cent growth. This shows the confidence that Vietnamese consumers have in New Zealand’s high-quality products.  And in a sign of just how complementary our two-way trade is, Viet Nam has also grown its machinery exports to New Zealand by more than 28 per cent over the last year. 

Taking advantage of regional economic integration through a number of FTAs, New Zealand and Viet Nam have worked with partners to ensure that supply chains are maintained and trade continues to flow. Looking at how we can reduce barriers to essential goods, such as medical equipment, continues to be a focus. This year, as the Chair of APEC, New Zealand wants to work with Viet Nam and other APEC members to build back more resilient, sustainable and inclusive economies in our region.

Agriculture is another great example of where both countries have been able to benefit from the relationship. We have an Agricultural Cooperation Arrangement, signed earlier this year, to support bilateral trade, help to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and promote food safety and rural development. 

We also have an innovative development program that is drawing on New Zealand’s expertise in fruit cultivation to develop three new dragonfruit varietals in Viet Nam. Local producers are now in the process of commercializing those new, high quality varieties, and they are going to be the beneficiaries when we see these new dragonfruit on supermarket shelves in Viet Nam, New Zealand, and around the world. 

Education remains one of our top priorities. That’s why New Zealand education institutions have been increasingly developing flexible in-Viet Nam options such as Joint Programs and foundation study centers, and there are various ongoing exchanges about on-line learning and curriculum development. Alongside the Strategic Partnership upgrade in July, we signed a refreshed Strategic Education Engagement Plan and a new vocational training cooperation arrangement. These developments demonstrate our commitment to continue to progress the broader New Zealand - Viet Nam education relationship. 

As the pandemic continues, could you describe new things you have done to help stay relaxed and balanced?  

Ambassador Tredene Dobson: The pandemic has certainly changed most of our normal lives. I love scuba diving, and I was so looking forward to exploring the beautiful beaches of Viet Nam. However, that plan was put on hold because we all know that we “stay home, to save lives.” Right now, I enjoy working out at home - most mornings you will find me doing a workout or yoga on my balcony over-looking Ho Tay– that is a great way to start the day and definitely helps with stress management. 

I have also delved into online shopping from home as well. Interestingly, I have found that a lot of New Zealand products are available in Viet Nam, such as apples, kiwis, and even green mussels, which are native to New Zealand. I love to cook so since restaurants have closed, I have been exploring different recipes that combine and showcase the best of New Zealand ingredients with Vietnamese flavors. That has been a lot of fun! 

I am also a coffee fanatic so every morning I take special care over a morning brew and have started trying some of Ha Noi’s great coffee roasts.

Could you comment on the Viet Nam's COVID-19 response strategy, especially the Government's determination to pursue "dual goal" of COVID-19 containment and economic recovery at the same time?

Ambassador Tredene Dobson: Both New Zealand and Viet Nam have pursued an extremely challenging objective of eradicating COVID-19, which has been incredible at keeping our citizens safe from COVID19 but does put a lot of pressure on our borders. 

Of course, our situations are very different – New Zealand is an island nation in the South Pacific, whereas Viet Nam has a huge population and long land borders - and that is what makes Viet Nam’s response so amazing. And then on top of that you have seen impressive GDP growth. 

Even though Viet Nam is now dealing with the fourth wave of the pandemic, I am confident we will be back on track again. It does mean we have to be vigilant, and both countries are very focused on vaccine roll-outs. It is absolutely critical that even in countries like ours where case numbers are low – that our populations get vaccinated. It is the only way we are going to overcome this pandemic and be able to safely re-open borders – with all the benefits that will bring.   

In early June this year, our Trade Ministers and other APEC members had a chance to dive deep into trade talks, including trade policies to strengthen recovery post COVID-19, increase inclusion and sustainability for economic recovery, and use digital trade to build back economies in our region. One of the clear examples is our joint commitment to maintain open supply chains of vaccines and other medical goods, as a joint effort to contain and recover from the pandemic. New Zealand was one of the first countries to support the COVAX facility and has so far committed $27 million. We are so pleased to see that Viet Nam has benefited from this – with 2,493,200 COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment so far. 

Thank you Ambassador Tredene Dobson!