Close cooperation between enterprises will contribute to promoting long-term, stable and comprehensive relations between Vietnam and New Zealand, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.
Close cooperation between enterprises will contribute to promoting long-term, stable and comprehensive relations between
Vietnam and New Zealand, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet.
On the first day of his State visit to New Zealand, State President Nguyen Minh Triet attended and delivered a speech at the Vietnam-New Zealand Business Forum in Christchurch on September 10.
Speaking to around 100 entrepreneurs, President Triet stressed that New Zealand is a good friend of Vietnamese people and the ties of friendship and cooperation have constantly consolidated and developed over recent years. Similarities in the friendliness and hospitality of people from each country are creating favourable conditions for enterprises to do business together on the basis of mutual benefit. Mr Triet also called on New Zealand enterprises to invest more in Vietnam while asking Vietnamese businesses to make full use of the fine political relations between the two countries and cooperative potential in order to seek New Zealand partners.
In recent years, two-way trade turnover has seen a gradual increase but remains at a modest level. Last year’s total trade turnover reached US$198 million. Over the past five months, the figure hit nearly US$100 million but Vietnam is always in export surplus.
New Zealand exports butter and milk (70-80 percent), leather, feathers, wood ships, chemicals and animal feed to Vietnam while importing footwear (30 percent), home decoration products (19 percent), ceramic and porcelain products, garments, textiles and cashew nuts from the country.
By July 2007, New Zealand invested in 13 projects in Vietnam worth US$35 million (ranking 42 out of 74 countries and territories investing in Vietnam).
Earlier, President Triet visited Christchurch aeroplane engine repair centre and TAIT electronic equipment production factory, which are implementing cooperative projects with Vietnam.
After visiting Christchurch, at 17:00 (local time) or 12:00 (Hanoi time) the same day, President Triet and his wife arrived in Wellington where he met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand.
Nearly 3,000 overseas Vietnamese are currently leading a stable life in New Zealand. Mr Triet said that the nation stretches out its arms to welcome all Vietnamese nationals who want to make contributions to national construction and development. On this occasion, he refuted the slanderous allegation that Vietnam represses religion.
An official welcome ceremony for State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife will be held on September 11 at the Governor-General’s Residence. After the welcome ceremony, Mr Triet is expected to meet with Governor-General Anand Satyanand and Prime Minister Helen Clark.
(Source: VOV)
