AUCKLAND – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has urged New Zealand’s Auckland City to expand its co-operation with Việt Nam, especially in economy and trade, contributing to doubling two-way trade between the countries in the time ahead. 

He made the suggestion at a meeting with Auckland’s mayor Phil Goff on Monday as part of his on-going official visit to the country. 
The PM also asked the two sides to step up their partnerships in education, science-technology, human resources development, urban planning, infrastructure development, high-tech agriculture and green energy. 
The leader expressed his belief that with the strong foundation of the Việt Nam-New Zealand relationship, Auckland will step up collaboration with Vietnamese localities, helping deepen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

He called on the mayor and the Auckland authority to create more favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the city to integrate into the host society. 
Goff congratulated Việt Nam on its achievements, especially in economics, describing them as results of efforts made by Vietnamese leaders and people over the past time. 
He highlighted the rapid and strong development of the Việt Nam-New Zealand relationship, especially people-to-people exchange and co-operation between the two countries’ localities. 
Auckland now houses nearly 3,000 Vietnamese, he said, who have made great contributions to the local development.

Back to school

On the same day PM Phúc and his spouse met with representatives of the Vietnamese people in New Zealand when visiting the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). 

The Vietnamese Government leader was welcomed at the AUT with the traditional Hongi greeting of local Maori people. 

After touring the AUT facilities, the PM talked to Vietnamese students in the university and representatives of the Vietnamese community. 

At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyễn Việt Dũng said most of Vietnamese people in the country have led stable lives and contributed to local development. Many Vietnamese are also among the students with the best academic results at the AUT. 

Phúc praised the Vietnamese embassy’s efforts to promote the two countries’ co-operation and support Vietnamese people in New Zealand. He expressed his hope that the embassy’s staff and Vietnamese people in the country will make unceasing efforts in their work so as to improve themselves, support their families, and contribute to the homeland. 

He noted that there are nearly 6,000 Vietnamese students in New Zealand at present. The two countries have co-operated in many fields, especially hi-tech agriculture, but those activities are just in the initial stage and there remains huge potential for more co-operation. 

Aside from external relations, promoting trade partnership is also an important task that the embassy and Vietnamese people in New Zealand should pay attention to, he said, asking for the reinforcement of bilateral ties in spheres of strength for New Zealand, such as green agriculture and infrastructure building. 

Phúc asked the embassy to bolster connections in education and training, expand tourism co-operation and further assist the Vietnamese community. 

The AUT has engaged in a number of joint training activities with Hà Nội, HCM City and Đà Nẵng City of Việt Nam. It plans to step up educational co-operation with the Southeast Asian nation with a hope that Vietnamese students in the AUT will be an important bridge helping to nurture the friendship and co-operation between the two countries. — VNS