(Photo: Vietnam Foreign Ministry)

In his address, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son highlighted the importance of the ASEAN-New Zealand Strategic Partnership in ensuring peace, stability, prosperity, and sustainability in the region. Vietnam proposes New Zealand help ASEAN improve its response to COVID-19, promptly access vaccines, mitigate impacts of the pandemic, and promote economic recovery through maintaining open market and supply chains. Vietnam hopes that the two sides will upgrade the ANZFTA and finalize the ASEAN-New Zealand Aviation Service Agreement. Vietnam urged New Zealand to help ASEAN narrow development gaps and promote sustainable development in sub-regions including the Mekong Sub-region.

The Head of the Vietnamese delegation said ASEAN and New Zealand share interests and responsibility for maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea, the world’s main maritime route. Vietnam reiterated ASEAN’s principal stance on the East Sea issue and their negotiation with China to build an effective, practical Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Speaking at the ASEAN-Canada Post Ministerial Conference, Minister Son said that Vietnam supports negotiations on the building of ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Area to create favorable conditions for trade and investment. The Minister urged both sides to enhance cooperation on women’s affairs, peace, and security.