Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters co-chaired the third Vietnam - New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM-3) and signed an Action Plan to realise the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for 2025-2030 in Hanoi on November 26.
On this occasion, Peters presented a diplomatic note announcing a 3 million NZD (1.7 million USD) aid package from the New Zealand Government to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of recent storms and floods.
Trung thanked the Government and people of New Zealand for their timely assistance, describing it as a meaningful gesture that reflects the close solidarity between the two countries.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the extensive progress in the bilateral ties since the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in February 2025, noting comprehensive and effective cooperation across five pillars: politics, national defence–security and maritime cooperation; economy, trade and investment; science-technology, agriculture and climate change response; and education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
The two ministers agreed to maintain the positive momentum by strengthening political trust, expanding high-level and all-level exchanges, making full use of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and effectively deploying the newly-signed Action Plan.
Highlighting the complementary nature of the two economies, the officials affirmed that economic, trade and investment ties hold ample potential. They agreed on the need for stronger, groundbreaking measures to raise two-way trade to 3 billion USD in 2026, with a focus on business connectivity and effective implementation of free trade agreements to which both countries are members. Trung also encouraged New Zealand enterprises to step up investment in Vietnam.
Peters thanked Vietnam for opening its market to several New Zealand agricultural products and urged further access for other items.
The two sides pledged to further broaden coordination in education, people-to-people exchanges, aviation connectivity, tourism, sci-tech, green and digital economy, agriculture, and climate change response.
Discussing global and regional issues, both ministers noted that Vietnam and New Zealand share a common vision of a rules-based international and regional order, respect for the voices of small and medium-sized nations; and promotion of free trade, multilateralism, dialogue, cooperation, and connectivity.
Peters affirmed that New Zealand considers Southeast Asia a priority in its foreign policy, supports ASEAN's centrality, and called for continued coordination from Vietnam, as coordinator for ASEAN – New Zealand relations, to further advance the newly-established ASEAN–New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
He also congratulated Vietnam on its upcoming 2026 chairmanship of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission's ministerial meeting and confirmed New Zealand’s support to help Vietnam fulfill the role, thereby promoting free trade and regional connectivity.
Trung spoke highly of New Zealand’s cooperation with Vietnam and ASEAN, wishing that New Zealand would continue its constructive stance and assist Vietnam and ASEAN in regional strategic issues, including the East Sea, and consider deeper engagement in the Greater Mekong sub-region, particularly in climate change response and rising sea level.
The host and guest also held in-depth and straightforward discussions on other issues of mutual concern and reached a high degree of consensus, thereby strengthening trust and common understanding, and making active contributions to advancing the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new phase./.
