Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (centre) at the event (Photo: VNA)December 8 signeda Vietnam - New Zealand Action Plan for the 2021-2024 period to deploy the bilateral strategicpartnership.
Speaking at the virtual signing ceremony, Son said he believed that the plan will help further promote the strategic partnership between the two countries in allareas in the near future.
He expressed hisdelight at the fact that the two sides have maintained cooperationmechanisms in the fields of politics, defence, agriculture, and health in thepast year amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vietnamese minister congratulated New Zealand on its successful hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Week, which helped the country improve its role and position in the international arena.
For her part, Mahuta emphasised that New Zealand attaches great importanceto its strategic partnership with Vietnam and that it is ready to cooperatewith the Southeast Asian nation in promoting economic recovery.
NewZealand wishes to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the areas of trade- investment, education, digital economy and climate change, shesaid, noting that the two countries are striving to lift their two-waytrade to 2 billion USD by 2024.
Regardingcooperation at regional and international forums, Mahuta thanked Vietnam for its strong support to New Zealand when the nation took overthe role as the APEC Chair in 2021, stressing that NewZealand is one of ASEAN's earliest dialogue partners.
Son took the occasion to invite Mahuta to visitVietnam at an appropriate time and the New Zealand minister accepted the invitation with pleasure./.
VNA
