Mr. Lam expressed confidence that New Zealand would continue to be a key partner accompanying Vietnam in its national industrialization, modernization, and international integration.
He urged the Governor-General to promote development cooperation programs in Vietnam, specifically in education, agriculture, climate change response, and gender equality. The top leader expressed his hope that she would continue to support the Vietnamese community in New Zealand, create favorable conditions for their growth and enable them to contribute actively to New Zealand society and bilateral relations. He also requested New Zealand's support for English language teaching in Vietnam, which is establishing English as a second language.
Dame Kiro emphasized her continued support and attention regarding bilateral development issues, particularly in education, viewing this as a vital bridge of friendship between the two nations and their peoples.
The two sides agreed to elevate the Vietnam-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new stage. In his capacity as the coordinator for ASEAN-New Zealand relations for the 2024–2027 term, General Secretary and President Lam said Vietnam would make every effort to deepen the bilateral relationship and make it more substantive.
Also on Thursday, in Auckland, General Secretary and President To Lam met with the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee. Mr. Lam expressed his pleasure at the presence of a New Zealand Member of Parliament of Vietnamese origin, noting that such representation contributes to parliamentary and bilateral relations and serves as a vivid testament to the contributions of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand.
The top leader proposed that both sides enhance the exchange of delegations at all levels—across Party, State, Government, and Parliamentary channels, particularly involving specialized parliamentary committees—to foster mutual understanding, people-to-people exchanges, and the sharing of experiences.
He expressed his hope that the New Zealand Parliament would continue to support the implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements with a favorable legal framework to boost collaboration in smart, high-tech, clean, and green agriculture.
The two leaders also agreed on the need to soon establish direct flights between the two countries and to facilitate visa procedures for entry into New Zealand.
