Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and visiting Governor General of New Zealand Jerry Mateparae have agreed to concrete measures to step up the two countries’ bilateral comprehensive partnership. The agreement was reached at their talks in Hanoi on August 5, during which they agreed to maintain the exchanges of all-level delegations and people-to-people exchange, and implement cooperation deals reached in the past, and sign the 2013-2016 Action Program. The two leaders also agreed to maintain bilateral cooperation mechanisms like political consultations, national defense dialogue, and the joint committee for economic and trade cooperation.

The two countries will strengthen ties between the two legislative bodies through the Vietnam-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group and co-host activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2015. In respect of economic, trade and investment cooperation, the two nations will try their best to increase two-way trade from US$600 million last year to US$1 billion by 2015, the two leaders said. New Zealand is investing in 20 projects worth over US$77.8 million in Vietnam and gives official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam nearly 10 million NZD each year on average.

In the field of national defense and security, the two countries will actively materialize cooperation agreements on training, information and experience sharing, anti-terrorism and United Nations peacekeeping activities.

As far as the East Sea issue is concerned, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, maritime safety, security and freedom in the sea area, and emphasized that disputes should be settled by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and with the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea toward the early achievement of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

After the talks, President Sang and Governor General Mateparae witnessed the signing of the 2013-2016 Vietnam-New Zealand Action Program and the double taxation avoidance agreement.