Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is hoping New Zealand and Vietnam can boost our two-way trade to US$2 billion.
Ardern is leading a trade delegation on a three day visit to the country visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Min cities.
In the space of just a few hours, Ardern met with all of Vietnam’s most senior members of government.
“It is about building those connections with leadership, it is about those political ties. And so for me, it’s all about making sure I go out and do the work in order to open doors for our businesses,” Ardern said.
The goal of her visit is to significantly boost exports from NZ$2 billion to US$2 billion.
“I’ll be looking forward to supporting product launches… promotional opportunities for some of our businesses,” she said.
New Zealand has agreed to train more Vietnamese pilots and get more students to New Zealand. It comes as Vietnam is already New Zealand’s fourth-biggest source of international students.
Vietnam will now be able to export limes and pomelos year-round to us. The two prime ministers visited an orchard to celebrate the agreement.
Regional security was also on the table.
“Vietnam has a very clear eye on maintaining peace in our region,” Ardern said.
She’s pleased President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping have been talking in Bali.
Xi and Biden warmly greeted each other with a handshake at a luxury resort hotel in Indonesia, where they are attending the Group of 20 summit of large economies.
“That face-to-face connection can’t be underestimated, the importance of it and its ability to reduce any miscalculation in what is, a tense environment,” Ardern said.
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