General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Thursday in New Zealand. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — The state visit to New Zealand by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm has attracted considerable attention from the local media.

Reports, articles and assessments published on August 12-13 highlighted that Việt Nam-New Zealand relations are shifting strongly from high-level political commitments to concrete cooperation programmes, with a focus on trade, investment, education, agriculture, science and technology, defence and security and climate change response.

Following the talks on Thursday morning (local time) between General Secretary and President Lâm and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) focused on PM Luxon’s message about a clear direction for bilateral relations.

The message was also emphasised by the New Zealand Government in its assessment of the visit, saying that the agreements reached during the trip set out a pathway for the bilateral relations over the next decade and should be translated into tangible benefits for people in both countries.

In a press release titled “New Zealand, Việt Nam advance relationship” published on Thursday, the New Zealand Government said PM Luxon and General Secretary and President Lâm had agreed on new steps to advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

“This visit has been about putting our partnership to work and delivering benefits for both countries,” PM Luxon said.

“When we met in Hà Nội last year, we marked 50 years of diplomatic relations by elevating our relationship. Today we have backed that ambition with action.”

The message was also carried by New Zealand-based news website Scoop on the same day, highlighting the concrete outcomes of the visit that the New Zealand Government has communicated to the public.

1News, one of New Zealand’s major media outlets, also reported on the meeting between General Secretary and President Lâm and PM Luxon in Auckland.

Notably, coverage by the New Zealand media showed that the New Zealand side views the outcomes of the visit as significant not only for the bilateral relations but also for creating new opportunities for exporters, strengthening education and security links and supporting farmers and healthcare professionals. — VNA/VNS