Vietnam, New Zealand expect bloom in rapport

Vietnam, New Zealand expect bloom in rapport ​n2.jpg

Vietnam, New Zealand expect bloom in rapport ​n2.jpg

The upcoming visit to New Zealand by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh will mark a milestone in the two countries’ relationship, beginning a new stage in the development of their cooperation, particularly in trade, tourism and education.

The remark was made by Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Vuong Hai Nam in an interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent before the Party chief’s visit.

The Ambassador said the Vietnam-New Zealand relations over the past time have made great strides forward in development.

The two countries set up a framework for their cooperation, intensified exchange of high-level delegations, recorded annual increases of two-way trade, strengthened cooperation in education and training, agriculture, food processing, tourism, culture and national security, and have step by step expanded to other fields such as science and technology, labour and environment.

They also coordinated with and gave mutual support to each other at regional and international forums such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the East Asian Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Worthy of note are New Zealand ’s recent recognition of Vietnam’s market economy and the signing of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Nam said.

According to the Ambassador, New Zealand now ranks 33rd among Vietnam’s trade partners while the latter stands at 31st. Two-way trade steadily increases every year, from 187 million USD in 2001 to 450 million USD in 2008.

Vietnam exports to New Zealand wooden furniture, coffee nuts, footwear, garments and handicraft products, and imports milk, lamb, beef, cereal powder, drinks and wine.

The signing of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA in last March has created a new atmosphere for bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation in the region.

The reduction of import-export tax levels to zero in the coming years in accordance with the roadmap agreed by the two countries would bring opportunities and challenges to both.

Nam said the two countries set a target of 1 billion NZD (equal to 0.7 billion USD) in two-way trade turnover and achieving balanced trade by 2015.

Regarding education-training cooperation, Nam said it is one of the fields that have received New Zealand’s special attention over the past years.

According to him, so far some 280 Vietnamese officials have attended English-teaching courses in New Zealand under the English Language Teaching for Officials programme (ELTO) which received funding from the New Zealand government’s ODA.

Nearly 1,500 Vietnamese students are studying in New Zealand , and a number of officials have received the Government’s assistance to pursue university and post-graduate courses under the Vietnam Overseas Scholarship Programme (Programme 322) and Project 165 on promoting overseas training for management officials.

In order to boost cooperation in the field, the two countries’ Education Ministries have signed a cooperation agreement with the aim of providing the best environment for their universities to cooperate.

The Wellington-based Victoria University has opened a branch in Ho Chi Minh City and many Kiwi teachers have come to Vietnam to give lectures.

Vietnam also tapped funds from the State budget to send its officials to New Zealand for training.

Recently, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the New Zealand government would consider increasing its ODA for education in Vietnam in the coming time.

Ambassador Nam expressed his hope that Vietnam-New Zealand cooperation in education would develop even further through concerted efforts by the two sides./.

Author: Vietnam Embassy Admin

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