Vietnam always treasures, and gives high priority to strengthening, ties with New Zealand, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said during his talks with Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Adrian Rurawhe in Wellington on Tuesday.

Vietnam will work together with New Zealand for important achievements as the two countries head toward the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties by 2025, the Vietnam News Agency quoted Hue as saying during the conversation.

Both sides shared strategic values and interests as close friends and partners, which holds significance amid complicated and uncertain developments in the region and the world.

The two sides agreed on the need to further strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation, making it a driving force for development of bilateral ties.

Vietnam and New Zealand are both members of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which are considered important frameworks for the two countries to promote economic cooperation.

Apart from traditional cooperation fields of education-training, tourism, culture, sports, labor, and agro-forestry-fisheries, ties in new and promising areas such as digital transformation, energy transition, and climate change should also be enhanced, the leaders stated.

Rurawhe hailed Vietnam for officially opening the market for New Zealand strawberries and pumpkins.

With its great potential for labor cooperation, Hue suggested stepping up the implementation of the Visa Working Holiday program and the signing of another bilateral labor cooperation agreement.

Vietnamese airlines are ready to open direct flights to New Zealand’s major cities, he added.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese leader asked his New Zealand counterpart to continue creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in his country.

Rurawhe described Vietnam as a favorite destination for New Zealanders, with about 40,000 arrivals to the country each year before the pandemic.

New Zealand will provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students, he added.

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