Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh (R) meets New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully yesterday. –  VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Linh

WELLINGTON – New Zealand has committed to continuing providing official development assistance (ODA) to Việt Nam, especially in education, human resources, agriculture and rural development, and climate change response. 

Foreign Minister Murray McCully told Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh during their talks in Auckland yesterday that New Zealand would maintain scholarships to study English for Vietnamese officials while stepping up co-operation between education institutions of the two countries. 

New Zealand considers Việt Nam a priority partner in the region, he said, calling on the two countries to foster co-operation. 

The minister also suggested the two sides discuss products prioritised for exports and imports of each nation. 

New Zealand will work with Việt Nam to assess risks to Vietnamese fruits while facilitating the sale of Vietnamese farm produces and seafood in the market, he affirmed. 

The two sides agreed to strengthen affiliation in agriculture. New Zealand will help Việt Nam with training and technological transfer to ensure productivity and quality of Vietnamese agricultural products, as well as food safety. 

They also agreed to enhance co-operation in national defence and security, education, people-to-people exchange and labour issues. 

Host and guest stressed the significance of the direct air route between Việt Nam’s HCM City and Auckland of New Zealand, which, they said, had strengthened exchanges between the two countries’ citizens and tourism connectivity. 

They noted with joy the development of the bilateral comprehensive partnership, looking towards a strategic partnership. 

The two sides lauded the Action Programme for 2013-16 and agreed to work on extending the programme for 2016-19. 

The officials emphasised the need to increase exchanges at all-levels and between the two countries’ localities, along with carrying forward bilateral co-operation mechanisms such as political consultations between the two foreign ministries and the joint committee on economic and trade co-operation. 

They will strive for bilateral economic and trade ties to reach US$1.7 billion by 2020, making economic co-operation a pillar of bilateral ties. 

The officials used the occasion to exchange views on regional and international issues of shared concern, including the latest developments of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement to which both Việt Nam and New Zealand are signatories, as well as Việt Nam’s hosting the APEC Year in 2017. 

They underscored the need to ensure peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region; respect international law as well as diplomatic and legal processes; settle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; not to take actions escalating tensions; and not to use or threaten to use force. — VNS