The New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi cooperated with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to hold the Vietnam-New Zealand Business Dialogue on the morning of November 15.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor. The event was part of PM Ardern’s visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, which aims to promote bilateral relations.

Addressing the opening event, PM Ardern said, “It is truly impressive to see that despite the disruptions and challenges caused by COVID-19, the New Zealand-Vietnam trade relations have continued to grow and to develop and be boosted.”

She emphasised that in the past five years, two-way trade in goods had increased by 59 per cent, reaching $1.46 billion by the year-end of June 2022. She expressed the belief that by coming together, the two countries could take the opportunities to improve further.

“The dialogue today is about identifying new growth areas and potential collaboration. Of course, I also encourage Vietnamese business delegations to visit New Zealand,” she said.

At the event, leading New Zealand and Vietnam businesses discussed potential cooperation in many sectors such as energy, textiles, food, and beverages, towards a trade turnover of $2 billion by 2024. Photo: Nguyen Ha

In the afternoon of the same day, the New Zealand Embassy, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), held the AgriConnectioNZ Dialogue and Exhibition: Strategic Partnership in Agriculture.

Attending the event were PM Ardern, New Zealand's Minister of Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan. The event received participation and response from many businesses and investors from both countries.

Many agreements between the two countries in agricultural cooperation were signed at the end of the event, including the announcement ceremony of Vietnam's lemon and pomelo exports to New Zealand and the signing ceremony of the MoU Partnership Priority Agreement between TH true Milk and Waikato Milking Systems.

Such events within the framework of the visit aim to open up opportunities for businesses of the two countries, especially in agriculture.

Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic ties in June 1975 and upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2009. The two countries officially lifted their relations to a Strategic Partnership in July 2020, creating new momentum in bilateral cooperation.

The two countries have closely coordinated the implementation of FTAs, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

The official visit to Vietnam by PM Ardern has contributed to promoting the Vietnam-New Zealand Strategic Partnership more deeply, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.