PM expects stronger Auckland-Vietnamese localities cooperation

VGP – PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested Auckland city further expand cooperation with Vietnamese localities, especially in economic and trade areas, in a bid to contribute to doubling the current trade value between Viet Nam and New Zealand in the years to come.

March 12, 2018 7:03 PM GMT+7

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff on March 12, 2018. Photo: VGP

The Government chief made the point during meeting with Mayor Phil Goff on Monday.

He also expressed his wish that the city authorities will continue creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese people to live and work there.

Viet Nam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on June 19, 1975 and then elevated the bilateral ties to comprehensive partnership in 2009.

Both sides signed an action plan for the period of 2017-2020 last year, which covers politics, defense and security, economy, trade, investment, agriculture, education, science and technology, development cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and coordination at regional and international forums.

Viet Nam is New Zealand’s 16^th biggest trade partner. Over the past five years, the two-way trade value increased by 15-20%, reaching US$1.2 billion last year.

The two countries agreed to raise the trade figure to US$1.7 billion by 2020, which is within reach, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung.

Viet Nam and New Zealand are currently members of the ASEAN - Australia - New Zealand free trade area (AANZFTA) taking effect since January 2010.

The two countries have signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in which member economies account for 13.5 percent of world GDP – worth a total of US$10 trillion.

Both sides are also joining talks on a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) comprising of 10 ASEAN countries and its five partners, namely Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, India.

In terms of education, New Zealand is a favorite place for Vietnamese students with more than 2,200 are studying there.

Auckland is rated as the third most liveable city in the world and home to over one tenth of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand./.

By Kim Anh