They will encourage their business communities to invest in each other’s markets, sign an agreement on double tax avoidance, and early conclude negotiations of an agreement on mutual recognition in the areas of quality inspection and food safety for agro-forestry and fishery exports. The agreement was reached during talks in Hanoi on August 5 between President Truong Tan Sang and NZ Governor-General Jerry Mateparae who began a five-day visit to Vietnam on August 3.

They said Vietnam-New Zealand relations have developed well over the years, especially since both countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2009.

Bilateral trade and investment ties have grown and flourished annually, with two-way trade last year reaching nearly US$600 million.

New Zealand has 20 operational projects in Vietnam with a total registered capitalisation of US$77.8 million. Its official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam remains steady at NZD10 million a year.

New Zealand is currently receiving more than 2,000 Vietnamese students taking up further studies at its universities and institutions.

To strengthen their comprehensive partnership, Sang and Mateparae said Vietnam and New Zealand should increase high-level visits and contacts, effectively implement existing agreements, and early sign a plan of action for 2013-2015.

Both countries should maintain existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including political consultations, national defence dialogues, and the joint committee for economic and trade cooperation, while fostering parliamentary links through the Vietnam-New Zealand Friendship Parliamentarian Group.

The leaders proposed that the two countries work closely to successfully organise activities to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic ties in 2015.

On national defence-security, they agreed that both sides need to realise cooperation agreements in the areas of training, information and experience sharing, counterterrorism, and UN peacekeeping work, as well as signing related agreements.

Mateparae assured Sang that New Zealand will maintain its development aid for Vietnam’s prioritised areas, such as education-training, agriculture, natural disaster risk management, and human resource management. 

Both host and guest expressed pleasure at the close coordination and cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums such as ASEAN, EAS, ARF, APEC, ASEM, and the United Nations, as well as in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement negotiations.

Regarding the East Sea issue, they emphasised the importance of peace, stability, safety and security of maritime freedom in the East Sea.

They held that any sea disputes should be settled through peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and early formulation of the Code of Conduct in the sea. 

NZ Governor-General Mateparae invited Sang to pay a State-level visit to New Zealand in an appropriate time.

Sang accepted the invitation and said the visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels.

At the press briefing after the talks, President Sang confirmed that NZ Governor-General Mateparae’s visit will help cement the comprehensive partnership between the two countries. 

At a reception for the visiting NZ politician, Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung proposed that the two countries’ legislative bodies increase cooperation and share experience in legislation and coordinate closely at inter-parliamentary union forums.

He conveyed his invitation to NZ parliament leaders to attend the 132nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to be held in Hanoi in 2015.

Mateparae spoke highly of Vietnam’s development achievements and its increasing role regionally and globally.

He agreed with Hung’s proposals and said the two countries need to boost cooperation, primarily in economics, education and culture, for mutual benefit, and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. 

VOV