New Zealand and Vietnam have agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relationship to the highest level and the two countries will now negotiate a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Prime Ministers Christopher Luxon and Pham Minh Chinh announced the plan together in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi on Wednesday.
Luxon told New Zealand media the new diplomatic partnership would have practical benefits for New Zealand and would hopefully put more money in their back pockets.
“This significant upgrade in the relationship is a major milestone and demonstrates the high level of trust, ambition, and strategic alignment between our countries. Vietnam is the rising star of Asia, and the opportunities to work together on common goals are enormous,” Luxon said.
“What this does is puts us at the very highest level of diplomatic relations within Vietnam, and they have these diplomatic relationships with a very small handful of countries.”
The two countries will now negotiation a plan of action under five pillars including political engagement, on security and defence matters, on economics and trade, on climate change and science and technology and on education and people links too.
Vietnam has signed Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with around 10 other countries, including Australia recently, and sends a signal to all levels of party and government in Vietnam that New Zealand is a partner of choice.
It also said such a partnership helps ease the path for businesses when it comes to navigating regional governments, port authorities and customs personnel across Vietnam.
