Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
The visit takes place in 2025, when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (June 19, 1975 - June 19, 2025), and the relationship between the two countries continues to develop positively and effectively.
The visit contributes to strengthening political trust, deepening the strategic partnership, and making the Vietnam-New Zealand bilateral relationship more substantive and effective.
Strategic Partnership is increasingly substantive
Vietnam-New Zealand relations are a bilateral relationship with a long history. Although the two countries are geographically far apart, they established diplomatic relations very early, on June 19, 1975.
Over the past five decades, the two sides have maintained contacts and exchanged many high-level delegations, marking the development steps in the relationship between the two countries.
In May 2005, the Prime Ministers of the two countries signed the "Declaration on Cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand," affirming their determination to promote cooperation to establish a comprehensive, long-term and stable partnership between the two countries.
The relationship between the two countries was upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership during General Secretary Nong Duc Manh's visit to New Zealand in September 2009.
Prime Minister John Key welcomed General Secretary Nong Duc Manh on an official visit to New Zealand (2009). (Photo: Dinh Xuan Tuan/VNA)
The establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries has created new momentum for cooperation between the two countries in all fields, within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world...
Then, in July 2020, the two countries established a Strategic Partnership, bringing bilateral relations to further development and substance, creating momentum to expand areas of cooperation in the future.
The two countries always maintain contacts and exchanges of delegations at high and all levels.
On the Vietnamese side, there were visits to New Zealand by: President Nguyen Minh Triet (September 2007); General Secretary Nong Duc Manh (September 2009); Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta within the framework of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting - AMM 55 in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) (August 2022), officially visited New Zealand and co-chaired the 1st Vietnam-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting (September 2022); Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met bilaterally with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Tianjin (China) (June 2023), officially visited New Zealand (March 2024); met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the occasion of attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Laos (October 2024); Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh visited and worked (September 2024); Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters on the occasion of attending the inauguration ceremony of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (October 2024); President Luong Cuong met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the occasion of attending the 2024 APEC Summit in Lima (Peru) (November 2024)...
On the New Zealand side, there were visits to Vietnam by: Governor-General Jerry Mateparae (August 2013); Prime Minister John Key (July 2010, November 2015); Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the 2017 APEC Summit in Da Nang (November 2017); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Bill English paid a working visit (September 2013); Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully paid a working visit (2010, 2012, 2014, April 2017); Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor (August 2018); Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid an official visit to Vietnam (November 2022); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters paid an official visit to Vietnam and co-chaired the 2nd Vietnam-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' Meeting (June 2024)...
In particular, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to New Zealand in March 2024 marked an important step forward, in which both sides affirmed their political determination and determination to create further breakthroughs to achieve the goal of bringing two-way trade turnover to 3 billion USD by 2026.
During this visit, the two sides put forward contents covered in three pairs of keywords: “stabilize and consolidate,” “strengthen and expand,” and “accelerate and break through.” The two sides agreed to promote bringing bilateral relations to a new height.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reviews the New Zealand honor guard. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
The two countries also maintain bilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as: Foreign Ministers' Conference (first in September 2022, second in June 2024); Political Consultation at Deputy Foreign Minister level (13th on February 4, 2025); Vietnam-New Zealand Maritime Dialogue (1st in December 2024 in Hanoi); Joint Committee on Economics and Trade (8th in May 2023); High-level Dialogue on Agriculture (2nd in April 2022); Defense Policy Dialogue at Deputy Minister level (4th in March 2024 in New Zealand) and Defense Consultation at the Department of Foreign Affairs (11th in 2020 in online form)...
Within the multilateral framework, Vietnam and New Zealand have a close cooperative relationship and support each other at important international and regional organizations and forums in the world of which both countries are members such as: United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN cooperation mechanisms...
The two countries together promote cooperation under free trade agreements in which both countries participate, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), etc.
Economic and trade cooperation is an important pillar in bilateral relations.
Economic-trade-investment cooperation is a field of cooperation with many strengths between the two countries. Vietnam is currently New Zealand's 13th largest trading partner with two-way trade turnover in 2023 and 2024 reaching 1.3 billion USD. Meanwhile, New Zealand is Vietnam's 41st largest trading partner (ranked 41st in exports and 37th in imports).
Vietnam exports to New Zealand various types of phones and components, computers, electronic products and components, seafood, cashew nuts, footwear; and imports from New Zealand dairy products, fruits, wood, textile and garment materials, footwear, machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts, scrap iron and steel, various types of iron and steel, etc.
The two countries aim to reach a trade turnover of 3 billion USD by 2026.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on economic and trade cooperation. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to New Zealand (March 2024), the two sides signed an Agreement on economic and trade cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand.
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung, Vietnam and New Zealand have economic strengths that can complement each other, especially in areas of strategic significance to the future of the two countries. The two countries are also members of many important free trade agreements in the region such as CPTPP and RCEP, creating opportunities to take advantage of trade exchanges and economic and investment cooperation.
In particular, agriculture is an important and potential area of cooperation in the bilateral relationship. Vietnam has opened its market to commercial potatoes, frozen beef, kiwifruit, apples, pumpkins, and strawberries from New Zealand. New Zealand has licensed Vietnamese mangoes, dragonfruit, rambutans, lemons, and grapefruits. New Zealand is proposing to open its market to honey, pears, venison, and venison; Vietnam has proposed to open its market to longan, lychee, and cut flowers.
Recently, during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to New Zealand (March 2024), New Zealand announced a new grant of NZ$6.24 million to Vietnam’s agricultural sector for the “High-quality Fruit Varieties Development Project (VietFruit)” Phase 3, a collaboration between the New Zealand Plant and Food Research Institute and Vietnam to promote Vietnam’s passion fruit industry. Previously, a similar project with dragon fruit was very successful.
Vietnam is currently New Zealand's 13th largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching US$1.3 billion in 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, New Zealand is Vietnam's 41st largest trading partner (ranked 41st in exports and 37th in imports).
Regarding investment, as of February 2025, New Zealand has 55 investment projects with a total capital of 208 million USD, ranking 39th out of 149 countries and territories with foreign direct investment in Vietnam, focusing mostly on the fields of real estate business, education and training, manufacturing and processing industry, agriculture, forestry and fisheries; administrative activities and support services; construction.
Some typical projects are: Aqua Riverside City in Dong Nai (operating in the real estate sector, registered investment capital of 115 million USD), Binh Dinh-New Zealand Gold Company Limited (registered capital of 15 million USD).
On the other hand, Vietnam has 12 investment projects in New Zealand with a total registered capital of 43.9 million USD, ranking 30th out of 80 countries and territories where Vietnam invests abroad, focusing on the fields of manufacturing and processing industry, accommodation and catering services, wholesale and retail, distribution, import and export, and agriculture.
Regarding development cooperation (ODA), New Zealand provides Vietnam with a stable source of ODA that increases year by year. New Zealand commits to providing Vietnam with NZD 26.7 million in non-refundable aid for the 2021-2024 period (similar to the 2018-2021 period); focusing on the fields of agriculture, climate change adaptation, education, and COVID-19 pandemic response.
The two sides are also promoting cooperation in new areas of cooperation such as climate change and energy transition. New Zealand is a developed economy, a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and plays an important role in many regional initiatives and linkages.
For Vietnam, New Zealand is a partner with great potential for cooperation, especially in the fields of agriculture, education, green economy, digital transformation, and climate change adaptation.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks about Vietnam's policies at Victoria University. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
In particular, in the field of climate change response, the two countries are strengthening cooperation in new areas such as renewable energy development, environmental protection, high-tech and sustainable agriculture.
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung, New Zealand can support Vietnam in improving technology and solutions to reduce carbon emissions. The two sides are expanding cooperation to new areas such as green economy, digital economy, knowledge economy, circular economy and energy transition, and implementing commitments on climate change.
In addition, cooperation between the two countries in other areas such as education and training, labor, cultural exchange, people-to-people exchange, etc. has also achieved encouraging results. In particular, educational cooperation is one of the outstanding areas of cooperation, one of the three main pillars of the Action Program to implement the Vietnam-New Zealand Strategic Partnership for the period 2021-2024.
The two countries signed the Vietnam-New Zealand Strategic Cooperation Plan on Education for the 2023-2026 period (March 2024), facilitating cooperation between higher education institutions of the two countries, supporting Vietnam in improving educational models through digital means, as well as establishing an alumni network; Education Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and the Ministry of Education of New Zealand (November 2022).
New Zealand continues to provide scholarships to Vietnam with 30 scholarships/year for Master's and PhD training programs, and maintains the English training program for Vietnamese civil servants.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with Vietnamese students studying at Victoria University. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
The New Zealand Government is committed to promoting international education and diversifying the international education market. More and more Vietnamese students are choosing New Zealand as their study abroad destination, thanks to its high-quality education and attractive scholarship programs.
New Zealand is also helping Vietnam train experts, senior managers, specialized scientific researchers and skilled workers.
Currently, the Vietnamese community living in New Zealand has about 14,000 people, mainly living in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. The majority of overseas Vietnamese have stable lives and are devoted to their homeland.
Promote new partnership opportunities
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (June 19, 1975 - June 19, 2025), the 5th anniversary of the implementation of the Strategic Partnership (July 2020 - July 2025) and is an important milestone for the two countries to expect to bring the relationship to a new height.
Building on the positive development of relations in recent times, the official visit to Vietnam by New Zealand Prime Minister Christoper Luxon from February 25-28 is a special event.
The visit is an important occasion for both sides to review the past journey of friendly cooperation and strategic partnership to jointly orient the strategic relationship between the two countries in the long term. This is also an opportunity for the two countries' senior leaders to discuss in depth major issues of the world and the region, promoting high political trust, consensus on viewpoints and visions of the two countries.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)
Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung said this is also Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's first visit to Vietnam since he became the head of the coalition government in New Zealand, with a new foreign policy priority of strengthening relations with ASEAN in general and with Southeast Asian countries in particular, of which Vietnam is one of the top important partners.
During the visit, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will have official talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; pay courtesy calls to senior leaders of the Party, State and National Assembly; visit a number of economic, cultural and educational establishments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; and attend and speak at the ASEAN Future Forum, demonstrating New Zealand's respect for the ASEAN organization.
Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Van Trung hopes that New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon's visit to Vietnam with a large business delegation, including many leading economic groups, will be an opportunity for the business communities of the two countries to connect and build new partnerships.
It is expected that during the visit, a number of cooperation agreements in the fields of education, training, trade and economy, aviation, environmental protection and climate change response will be signed by the two sides on this occasion.
New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon’s visit to Vietnam this time will certainly be a great success, continuing to strengthen strategic political trust, creating breakthroughs in economic, trade and educational cooperation and expanding cooperation to new fields, maximizing the potential of the two countries, together moving towards a prosperous future./.
(Vietnam+)
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