FM Bui Thanh Son welcomes New Zealand Deputy PM and FM Winston Peters in Hanoi
WVR - On the afternoon of June 5, in Hanoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son welcomed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters and co-chaired the 2nd Vietnam-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
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| At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters pays an official visit to Vietnam. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
At the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters pays an official visit to Vietnam and co-chairs the 2nd Vietnam-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting from June 5 to 6, 2024.
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| Vietnam is the first country that New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, is visiting as part of his Southeast Asia tour from June 5 to 12, 2024 |
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| This is also Foreign Minister Winston Peters' first visit to the region since assuming his position in New Zealand's coalition government. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Vietnam is the first country that New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, is visiting as part of his Southeast Asia tour from June 5 to 12, 2024. This is also his first visit to the region since assuming his position in New Zealand's coalition government.
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| Foreign Minister Winston Peters' visit is an opportunity for the Foreign Ministries of both countries to discuss measures to implement high-level agreements through the regular Foreign Ministers' Meeting mechanism. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
The visit demonstrates a new direction in New Zealand's foreign policy, which prioritizes Southeast Asia as a key partner, just after Australia and the South Pacific island nations. New Zealand highly values Vietnam's role and position in Southeast Asia, recognizing the region as a new growth driver for its economy.
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| Both sides are also focused on successfully implementing the 2021-2024 Action Plan, identifying priorities and new directions for the plan in the coming years. (Photo; Tuan Anh) |
Taking place just over two months after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to New Zealand, which resulted in many strategically significant outcomes, Foreign Minister Peters' visit is an opportunity for the Foreign Ministries of both countries to discuss measures to implement high-level agreements through the regular Foreign Ministers' Meeting mechanism.
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| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters co-chair the 2nd Vietnam-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Both sides are also focused on successfully implementing the 2021-2024 Action Plan, identifying priorities and new directions for the plan in the coming years. A key milestone is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025.
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| Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on June 19, 1975, established a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2009, and upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in July 2020. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on June 19, 1975, established a Comprehensive Partnership in September 2009, and upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in July 2020.
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| Vietnam is currently the 14th largest trading partner of New Zealand with bilateral trade reaching $1.3 billion in 2023. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Over nearly 50 years of diplomatic ties, Vietnam-New Zealand relations have been developing unceasingly and upgraded to a strategic partnership since July 2020.
Vietnam is currently the 14th largest trading partner of New Zealand. Bilateral trade turnover has steadily increased over the years, from USD 300 million in 2009 to USD 750 million in 2013, with an average growth rate of about 20% per year. In 2022, it reached USD 1.4 billion, an increase of approximately 5.7% compared to 2021. In 2023, it was USD 1.3 billion, a decrease of about 5.6% compared to 2022 (with imports reaching USD 680.6 million and exports USD 648.9 million).
As of November 2023, New Zealand had 52 investment projects worth $208.35 million in Vietnam, ranking 39th among 143 countries and territories investing in the country, statistics show. These investments are concentrated mainly in real estate business, education and training, manufacturing and processing industries, agriculture, forestry and fisheries; administrative and support services; and construction.
