Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivered a policy speech at the Victoria University of Wellington on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

WELLINGTON — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivered a policy speech at Victoria University of Wellington on Monday, as part of his official visit to New Zealand.

In his speech, PM Chính highlighted climate change, diseases, exhaustible resources, aging population, and poverty as the five major challenges the whole world is facing which need a global and universal approach that highlights international solidarity and multilateralism to address, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The region and the world are undergoing a period of profound transformation, characterised by rapid, complicated, and unpredictable developments with increasing risks and instability such as strategic competition among powers, he said, adding nowhere are the global changes more evident than in the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean which are the locomotive for global economic recovery and growth, and the world’s economic hub that generates almost 60 per cent of the global GDP and accounts for 46 per cent of the international trade.

Along with young labour force and a network of deep economic linkages with various new-generation and large-scale free trade agreements to which both Việt Nam and New Zealand are members, the regions boast innovation capacity and are a pioneer in testing new technologies, the Vietnamese Government leader highlighted.

However, besides opportunities, the regions have been a site of intense strategic competition among major powers, posing a high risk of conflicts that could affect countries in the regions and across the globe.

Highlighting Việt Nam's vision and aspiration, PM Chính said that the country wishes to join hands with the international community to maintain peace, prevent wars and conflicts, as well as promote sustainable development.

As Việt Nam is striving to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed and high-income country by 2045, it has identified three fundamental factors, namely building a socialist democracy, building a law-governed socialist state, and building a socialist-oriented market economy, he said, stressing people have been put at the centre and taken as the locomotive for development and Việt Nam will not sacrifice social progress and justice and the environment for pure economic growth.

Regarding Việt Nam's orientations, Chính said Việt Nam is developing an independent, self-reliant, and proactive economy in tandem with extensive, practical and effective international economic integration.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at Wellington University. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

He underscored the country’s three breakthroughs in institution, human resources and infrastructure development, with focus sharpened on economic restructuring in tandem with the renewal of the growth model and improvement of productivity, quality, effectiveness, and competitive edge.

The country is building a progressive culture imbued with national identity, developing education-training and science-technology, ensuring social welfare, and paying due attention to protecting the environment and responding to climate change.

He went on to say that Việt Nam is consolidating and strengthening defence and security, safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and pursuing the “Four No's” defence policy.

In the meantime, the country is developing a strong and comprehensive ruling Party, pushing ahead the prevention of corruption and other negative phenomena, and implement the great national solidarity policy.

Việt Nam is pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation, he said, adding the country is a good friend, a trustworthy partner and an active and responsible member of the international community.

The country is developing its bamboo diplomacy imbued with its cultural tradition and history, he added.

According to PM Chính, after nearly 40 years of "đổi mới" (Renewal), thanks to the sound policies, guidelines, goals, and orientations of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, the drastic engagement of the entire political system, the active participation and consensus of people and businesses, as well as the support and assistance of international friends, Việt Nam has made great progress, and gained great achievements of historical significance.

From a besieged and embargoed country, Việt Nam now has relations with 193 countries around the world and set up strategic partnership and comprehensive partnership with 30 nations, including all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, seven members of the Group of Seven (G7), and 16 members of the Group of Twenty (G20). It has also signed 16 free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than 60 countries and is negotiating three others.

As the world and regional situation is forecast to change rapidly, complicatedly and unpredictably, Việt Nam will continue to identify that there are more difficulties and challenges than opportunities and advantages. Therefore, it is necessary to closely follow reality and have timely, flexible and effective response policies. In particular, Việt Nam is renewing traditional growth drivers such as investment, consumption and export; and strongly promoting new ones such as science - technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, sharing economy as well as emerging industries and fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor.

Việt Nam maintains macro-economic stability, controls inflation, promotes growth, and ensures major balances of the economy; while focusing on ensuring social security, environmental protection, and climate change response; consolidating and strengthening national defence and security; and stepping up foreign affairs and international integration so as to create a peaceful and stable environment and favourable conditions for national development, PM Chính stated.

Regarding the Việt Nam-New Zealand relations, the PM affirmed that New Zealand is one of Việt Nam's leading partners in the region and one of its few strategic partners in the world.

To continue making the most of potential and strengths of both countries, and bringing the bilateral relationship to a new height, it is necessary to promote the strategic value of the Việt Nam-New Zealand partnership, to jointly contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

The two sides must jointly enhance multilateral collaboration and international solidarity; solve disputes and disagreements through dialogue and peaceful means; promote the "win-win cooperation and mutual benefit" mindset instead of the "win-loss" one; and actively cooperate to contribute to the formation of an open, transparent, inclusive regional structure based on international law, in which the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plays a central role.

Việt Nam hopes to join New Zealand in pioneering efforts to ensure food security, develop clean and green agriculture, and improve capacity to adapt to climate change and other global challenges, PM Chinh stressed, adding that Việt Nam is ready to act as a bridge for New Zealand to further strengthen relations with ASEAN and with ASEAN member countries, especially in its role as the coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations for the 2024-27 period. He expressed his hope that New Zealand will help Việt Nam strengthen relations with Pacific island countries and international organisations in this region.

He proposed the two countries stabilise and strengthen political trust, strategic confidence, and political and diplomatic cooperation; intensify and expand collaboration in all important pillars of the bilateral strategic partnership, including economy - trade - investment, security and defence, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges; and accelerate and make breakthroughs in cooperation in science - technology, innovation, green and digital economic development, environmentally friendly technology transfer, emission reduction, agricultural development, and other emerging technology industries such as AI, semiconductor, and sea-based economy.

The government leader also proposed promoting trilateral cooperation models between Việt Nam and New Zealand with one or two South Pacific island countries, or between Việt Nam, New Zealand and Laos as Laos is the ASEAN Chair in 2024; and strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

PM Chính went on to say that Việt Nam will do its best to bring the bilateral relationship to a new height, thus helping each country to firmly safeguard its independence, sovereignty, peace and development, for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

This was the final official activity of PM Chính during his visit to New Zealand. In the evening of the same day, PM Chính, his spouse and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation are scheduled to leave New Zealand for Hà Nội. — VNS