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PM visits Auckland University & overseas Vietnamese community

VGP – PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse came to visit Auckland University of Technology (AUT) during his overseas trip to New Zealand on March 12.

March 12, 2018 3:16 PM GMT+7

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits Auckland University of Technology (AUT), March 12, 2018 - Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

On this occasion, the PM participated in a unique ceremony of traditional Maori greeting, the first native people in New Zealand. The greeting is done by pressing one's nose and forehead, at the same time, to another encounter. Under local customs, Maori people consider foreign people as distinguished guests in New Zealand. 

AUT had over 4,000 international students from 95 countries and territories including 400 overseas Vietnamese students. 

After visiting some classrooms, research centers, and facilities in AUT, the PM visited the overseas Vietnamese community in New Zealand. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung reported that the Vietnamese overseas community in New Zealand led a stable life and contributed to national development. 

Addressing the meeting, PM Phuc expressed his pleasure to visit New Zealand, AUT, and the overseas Vietnamese community there. 

The Government chief took the occasion to brief the country's socio-economic performance in Q1, 2018 in which GDP growth pace touched 7.41%; trade revenue surged 40%; and Viet Nam ran a trade surplus of nearly US$ 2 billion in 2017. 

The PM called on the overseas Vietnamese community in New Zealand to join hands to serve the national development. 

According to PM Phuc, the two-way trade turnover reached nearly US$ 1 billion. So far, nearly 6,000 Vietnamese people are living there. The two countries have just entered the initial phase of cooperation especially in agriculture and high-tech.  

Hence, the Government chief called upon the Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand, trade counselors, and enterprises to utilize the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which was inked in Chile. 

The PM also asked the Embassy to take care of the overseas Vietnamese community there./. 

By Khanh Phuong