Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a meeting on Friday, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation following the recent upgrade of Vietnam-New Zealand relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The southern metropolis’ chairman welcomed PM Luxon’s visit to Vietnam, emphasizing that the strengthened diplomatic ties present a unique opportunity for both countries to enhance cooperation across various sectors.

During the meeting, Duoc acknowledged that New Zealand’s investment in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City has yet to fully reflect the potential and advantages of both sides. 

He expressed hope that bilateral trade and investment between New Zealand and the city would flourish further under the new framework.

As Vietnam’s economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City is striving to fulfill its ambition of becoming a leading financial, economic, and service center in Asia.

Duoc called for greater engagement from New Zealand in helping the city realize its ambition, ultimately contributing to Vietnam’s deeper integration into global value chains.

He also highlighted technology and digital transformation as key priorities for the city, noting that New Zealand enterprises have ample opportunities to invest in and support the city’s digitalization efforts.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc (R) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hold talks in Ho Chi Minh City, February 28, 2025. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

PM Luxon welcomed the city’s vision, affirming that New Zealand is ready to engage in practical and effective cooperation to support Vietnam’s development.

He noted New Zealand’s global reputation in education, with its universities ranked among the world’s top two-percent globally, and reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to working closely with Vietnam, particularly Ho Chi Minh City, to enhance high-quality education from primary to postgraduate levels.

On the same day, the top New Zealand leader also joined Duong Ngoc Hai, vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, for a morning coffee discussion at Bach Dang Wharf, where they explored potential cooperation on urban sustainability and renewable energy to support the city's green development goals.

The meeting followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Vietnamese and New Zealand enterprises on Thursday, witnessed by PM Luxon and the vice chairman, further cementing economic collaboration between the two countries.

Duong Ngoc Hai (L), vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, shakes hands with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during their morning coffee discussion at Bach Dang Wharf in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, February 28, 2025. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

PM Luxon paid an official visit to Vietnam from Tuesday to Friday this week at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh.

During his stay in Vietnam, PM Luxon attended the second ASEAN Future Forum, held in Hanoi from Tuesday to Wednesday, and engaged in bilateral meetings.

On Thursday, PM Chinh and PM Luxon reached an agreement to upgrade their countries' relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking a new milestone in more than five decades of their diplomatic ties.

Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic ties in 1975, before upgrading them to a comprehensive partnership in 2009 and a strategic partnership in 2020.

Vietnam is now New Zealand’s 13th-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US$1.3 billion in 2023 and 2024.

New Zealand ranks 39th among foreign investors in Vietnam, with 55 projects totaling $208 million.

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