(VOVWORLD) -Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son had bilateral meetings with ministers from New Zealand, Canada and the UK on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.
 Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Photo: VOV reporter in Cambodia
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At their meeting, FM Son and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta agreed on the need to increase delegation exchanges and the promotion of annual mechanisms, striving for 20% growth in annual two-way trade to match the bilateral Strategic Partnership. They concurred to recover collaboration in other fields such as education, tourism, and people-to-people exchange after COVID-19.
Mahuta affirmed that New Zealand will maintain the provision of ODA and scholarships to Vietnam and strengthen the country’s cooperation in the Mekong region.
At a meeting with Canadian Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade Mary Ng, Minister Son suggested the strengthening of collaboration within regional mechanisms, including the ASEAN, along with support for sustainable Mekong development. Vietnam hopes for Canada’s assistance in mitigating climate change, and more investment from Canadian businesses, he said.
On the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations, the two sides agreed on various measures to further beef up bilateral ties, including increasing high-level meetings, implementing bilateral dialogue mechanisms, and optimizing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
 Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and British Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling. Photo: VOV reporter in Cambodia |
The Vietnamese Foreign Minister and British Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling agreed to increase delegation exchanges and further bolster collaboration in climate change response and cooperation in trade and investment, as well as the effective implementation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).
The Vietnamese FM proposed that the UK support Vietnam in establishing the equitable energy transition partnership with G7, and asked for the UK’s support in green finance, technology transfer, human resources development, and its sharing of experience in governance. Vietnam hopes for more British investments, especially in renewable energy, finance-banking, pharmaceutical, IT, startup and infrastructure development.