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| Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc received Mr. Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Minister in charge of Economy and Trade, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on May 22 (Photo: baoquocte.vn) |
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Vangelis Vitalis emphasized that Vietnam is an important factor in New Zealand's policy for the Asia-Pacific region, and expressed appreciation for Vietnam's active role in building important cooperation frameworks in the region such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA), and now the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
On this occasion, Mr. Vangelis Vitalis also thanked Vietnam for its close coordination and support for New Zealand when it took up positions at multilateral mechanisms in recent times, such as the hosting of APEC 2021, or CPTPP 2023 chairmanship.
Deputy Minister Ha Kim Ngoc thanked Mr. Vangelis Vitalis for the good feelings he has for the country and people of Vietnam, and expressed his appreciation for his contributions in the CPTPP and AANZFTA negotiation processes.
He said that in the context of the complicated situation in the region and the world, with many potential risks and challenges, and the increasingly tense competition of big countries, Vietnam and New Zealand need to strengthen the forms of cooperation to promote issues of concern, and maintain the principles, orientations and high standards of related agreements.
In the coming time, he suggested that the two countries continue to work together to promote priority cooperation contents such as e-commerce, digital economy, clean energy, climate change adaptation and women's empowerment. He also proposed New Zealand expand investment in Vietnam in areas where New Zealand has strengths, such as agriculture, education, tourism, infrastructure and transportation.
Regarding free trade agreements to which the two sides are members, such as CPTPP, RCEP, and AANZFTA, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister suggested that the two sides coordinate to more effectively exploit commitments and promote the central role of ASEAN in strengthening regional trade links./.