Prime Minister concludes official visits to New Zealand, Australia
(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife on Sunday night arrived in Hanoi, concluding their official visits to New Zealand and Australia and attendance of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
 PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and PM Jacinda Ardern hold talks in Auckland, March 13, 2018. (Photo: VNA) |
During his 3-day visit from March 12 to 14, Mr. Phuc held talks with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents. PM Phuc met New Zealand’s Speaker of the House of Representatives Trevor Mallard, had a phone call with New Zealand’s Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, and met Auckland’s Mayor. The government leader attended the Vietnam-New Zealand Business Forum in Auckland, received leaders of several New Zealand groups and leading businesses, and visited the Plant and Food Research of New Zealand. Mr. Phuc visited the Auckland University of Technology, had an exchange with students of the University of Waikato, and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand.
At the meetings, leaders of both countries agreed on increasing delegations at all levels, holding people-to-people exchanges, and implementing specific cooperation activities as part of the action plan on defense cooperation until 2021. The leaders also agreed to boost investment and trade promotion to bring bilateral trade to 1.7–2 billion USD by 2020.
On this occasion the two sides issued a joint statement on enhancing the comprehensive partnership towards a strategic partnership.
 Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull |
While visiting Australia and attending the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit from March 14 to 18, PM Phuc had 43 activities in Canberra and Sydney. Prime Minister Phuc and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull signed a joint statement on the establishment of the Vietnam-Australia Strategic Partnership. Mr. Phuc also attended an inauguration ceremony of VOV’s new representative office in Sydney.
PM Phuc’s official visit to Australia and attendance of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit will lift Vietnam-Australia ties to a new height, create momentum for further bilateral cooperation, and contribute to the strengthened connectivity between ASEAN and Australia.