Vietnam, New Zealand upgrade relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Vietnam and New Zealand on Wednesday upgraded their diplomatic relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a significant milestone in bilateral ties.

With this development, New Zealand has become the 10th Comprehensive Strategic Partner of Vietnam.

The announcement on the elevation of ties was made during a joint press conference held following talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Hanoi.

At their talks, PM Chinh emphasized the special significance of the visit, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Both leaders agreed that after five decades of diplomatic ties, 16 years of a Comprehensive Partnership, and five years of a Strategic Partnership, the two nations have built a strong and extensive relationship. With this solid foundation, they decided to upgrade their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

According to PM Chinh, this new partnership will further strengthen political trust and deepen bilateral cooperation. It reflects the shared aspirations of their people and is built on the principles of respect for international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and mutual political systems.

The upgraded relationship is also expected to contribute positively to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Under this new framework, the bilateral relationship will be enhanced in five key areas. Political trust will be elevated to a higher strategic level, while defence and security cooperation will become more substantive.

Economic, trade and investment collaboration will be expanded in a more effective and comprehensive manner. Science and technology cooperation, along with climate change response, will be established as new pillars of the partnership.

Additionally, people-to-people exchanges will be strengthened through greater collaboration in human resource development, labor and tourism.

The two leaders also encouraged airlines to establish direct flights between the two countries, with Vietjet already launching a route.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to reinforcing coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations, ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms. They agreed to foster dialogue, build trust among nations, and uphold ASEAN's central role in shaping the regional architecture.

On maritime security, the two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea (known as the East Sea in Vietnam).

They stressed the need for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also agreed to enhance cooperation in maritime affairs, with the shared goal of making the South China Sea a region of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and development.

PM Chinh underscored that the upgraded framework would enable both countries to pursue more practical, effective, and sustainable cooperation across various fields, meeting the aspirations and interests of their people.

He also highlighted that this strengthened partnership would make a meaningful contribution to peace, stability, and development at both regional and global levels. The two governments have pledged to effectively implement the new cooperation framework.

Vietnam, as the coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations, will continue working to strengthen ASEAN-New Zealand ties. This includes advocating for an upgraded ASEAN-New Zealand partnership, which would bring mutual benefits and contribute to regional and global peace, cooperation, and development.

PM Luxon reaffirmed New Zealand’s strong commitment to deepening ties with Vietnam, expressing hope for greater achievements in the near future. Reflecting on the past 50 years, he acknowledged the significant milestones and accomplishments that have aligned with both nations' interests. He also highlighted New Zealand’s increasing engagement with ASEAN, underscoring the shared commitment to regional cooperation and prosperity.

During their discussions, the two leaders explored ways to bolster economic and trade ties and improve the quality of life for their citizens. PM Luxon praised Vietnam’s remarkable economic growth, noting that bilateral trade has increased by 40% over the past five years.

He recognized Vietnam as an attractive investment destination and acknowledged significant progress in supply chain connectivity, investment facilitation and business partnerships, particularly in agriculture, fisheries and renewable energy. He also identified maritime cooperation, education and defence and security as promising areas for expanded collaboration.

Recognizing their shared objective of fostering a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, PM Luxon reiterated New Zealand’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Vietnam. He expressed interest in elevating defence and security dialogues and announced plans for a New Zealand naval vessel to visit Vietnam later this year.

The New Zealand leader also extended his gratitude to Vietnam for inviting him to participate in the ASEAN Future Forum. He described the event as an opportunity to contribute to discussions on a resilient and prosperous ASEAN and to share priorities that New Zealand, Vietnam, and ASEAN are collectively pursuing.

He emphasized that New Zealand’s relationship with Vietnam and ASEAN is stronger than ever, expressing a keen desire to further enhance people-to-people ties. Strengthening these connections, he noted, would be crucial for expanding cooperation in education and tourism, as well as for increasing scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students.

He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to working closely with PM Chinh to deepen collaboration in key sectors, fully realizing the potential of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Earlier in the day, the two prime ministers witnessed the announcement and exchange of eight cooperation agreements between Vietnam and New Zealand. These include the official logo commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties, an agreement on climate change cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the foreign ministries of both nations.

Additionally, an agreement was signed on doctoral training for Vietnamese university lecturers, between Vietnam’s Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Education and Training and New Zealand’s Council of Universities.

Other agreements include fifth freedom traffic rights between Vietnam and New Zealand, facilitated by Vietjet; the donation of 10 high-flow oxygen therapy machines worth VND1 billion ($39,000) from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare to Bach Mai Hospital; a memorandum of cooperation on digital transformation and healthcare service enhancement, valued at approximately VND120 billion ($4.7 million) between FV Hospital Vietnam and Orion/McCrae Hospital; and an agreement on environmentally friendly agricultural chemicals, worth VND13 billion ($509,000) between A Chau Company and Animal Control Products from New Zealand.