ASEAN-New Zealand: Deep and comprehensive cooperation, reaching new strategic heights

Overview of the 32nd ASEAN-New Zealand Senior Officials' Dialogue.

Continuing the series of ASEAN activities in Da Nang, on April 9, as the coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations for the 2024-2027 term, Vietnam organized the 32nd annual ASEAN-New Zealand Senior Officials' Dialogue (SOM).

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, Head of ASEAN SOM Vietnam, co-chaired the Dialogue with Deputy Foreign Minister, Head of SOM New Zealand Grahame Morton. Attending the Dialogue were SOM Heads, Heads of Delegations from ASEAN countries, Timor-Leste and Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN.

On behalf of ASEAN countries, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet spoke, highlighting the role of New Zealand, one of ASEAN's first partners, with extensive cooperation frameworks, programs, and initiatives, and many positive and effective contributions to the cooperation and development processes in the region over the past 50 years.

In the context of the region and the world facing many complexities and challenges, along with increasingly fierce strategic competition, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet assessed that the close and extensive relationship between ASEAN and New Zealand plays an increasingly important role, contributing to strengthening regional cooperation processes, especially the open, free, fair and rules-based international trade system.

Looking forward to the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand dialogue relations 1975-2025, this is the right time for ASEAN and New Zealand to discuss and propose long-term strategic directions to take bilateral relations to new heights.

Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, Head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam, spoke at the event.

ASEAN countries and New Zealand affirmed the strategic importance of the relationship, emphasizing that the two sides share many concerns, interests, and a common vision for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Deputy Minister Grahame Morton affirmed that ASEAN and Southeast Asian countries are high priorities in New Zealand's foreign policy. New Zealand is committed to supporting ASEAN's central role, assisting ASEAN in building the Community, and expressing its desire to elevate relations with ASEAN both regionally and bilaterally.

The countries assessed the positive results on the four pillars of cooperation between ASEAN and New Zealand on Peace - Prosperity - People - Planet (4Ps), in which, notably, in 2024, the total trade and services between the two sides will reach 27 billion NZD, and New Zealand's total investment in ASEAN will reach 6.45 billion NZD.

The countries said that although the implementation of the 2021-2025 Action Plan has reached 100%, the two sides still have a lot of room for cooperation, potential and complementary advantages.

The two sides emphasized the need to prioritize and allocate resources to enhance economic cooperation, facilitate trade and investment, diversify economic linkages, strengthen supply chains, and effectively promote the recently upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and other multilateral trade agreements, especially in the face of changes in trade policies of some major countries, increasing protectionism, and rapid and profound shifts in geopolitics and geoeconomics.

Closer connectivity between the two regions is also a focus that many countries have mentioned to supplement and support the facilitation of trade, investment and commerce between the two sides, including the need to soon sign the ASEAN-New Zealand Air Services Agreement this year.

Deputy Foreign Minister, Head of New Zealand SOM Grahame Morton spoke at the event.

In addition, many ASEAN countries wish to further promote cooperation in new, sustainable and inclusive growth areas in which New Zealand has many strengths such as digital economy, technology-innovation, AI governance, green development, renewable energy, space technology, climate-resilient agriculture, training and building high-quality capacity, etc.

Sharing the priority of putting people at the center of the relationship, ASEAN and New Zealand agreed to promote cooperation to ensure security and well-being for people, including responding to climate change, ensuring cyber security, food security, disaster management, etc.

New Zealand is committed to continuing to implement capacity building projects for young leaders and young entrepreneurs, defense policy makers for ASEAN; providing scholarships for students from ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste to study in New Zealand; supporting projects to enhance the role of ASEAN women in climate change adaptation...

At the Dialogue, the countries shared their views on a number of international and regional issues of mutual concern such as the East Sea, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, etc.

At the end of the Dialogue, the countries affirmed that they will continue to coordinate and cooperate closely, exchange and propose higher cooperation and development orientations for bilateral relations, especially in 2025 when ASEAN celebrates the 10th anniversary of the formation of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN-New Zealand celebrates the 50th anniversary of relations.

The two sides also agreed to link the development of major documents guiding ASEAN-New Zealand cooperation such as the Joint Vision and Action Plan for the 2026-2030 period with ASEAN's long-term development focuses, strategies and orientations.

Delegates attending the event.

On the same afternoon, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet attended and delivered the opening speech at the Conference “Meet ASEAN in Da Nang 2025” organized by the People's Committee of Da Nang City, aiming to strengthen cooperation and promote investment opportunities from ASEAN countries and ASEAN partners in Da Nang.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/asean-new-zealand-hop-tac-sau-rong-va-toan-dien-cung-vuon-toi-nhung-tam-cao-chien-luoc-moi-310557.html