(VOVWORLD) -Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta co-chaired the first Foreign Ministers' Meeting between the two countries on Wednesday after an official welcome ceremony of Maori tradition in Wellington.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son shakes hands with New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Photo: VOV
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The two ministers agreed to continue consolidating political relations, promoting economic and trade cooperation, and making effective use of existing economic cooperation mechanisms. They exchanged views on facilitating goods access to each other's markets.
Minister Son suggested that New Zealand create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the New Zealand market, first of all, fresh lemons, grapefruits, and longans. Minister Mahuta agreed to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to increase their investment and business in New Zealand in manufacturing, wholesale and retail, high-tech agriculture, among others.
The two also discussed the potential of cooperation in education-training, labor, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and security-defense.
They stressed the need to boost new areas of cooperation, in line with their potentials, requirements and goals, such as climate change combat, emissions reduction, forest conservation and development, sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture, fisheries cooperation, and marine environment protection.
Discussing regional and global situations of mutual concern, both agreed to continue coordination and mutual support at multilateral organizations and forums, especially the UN and ASEAN. They shared stances on ensuring peace, stability, security, cooperation and development in the region based on the rule of law, and resolving issues, including the East Sea, on the basis of international law.
Minister Mahuta said New Zealand values the established Strategic Partnership with ASEAN and will support sub-regional mechanisms including the Mekong.