Prime Minister hosts welcome ceremony for NZ counterpart

The Kiwi Prime Minister is accompanied by Minister for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor, Deputy Chief of the Prime Minister's Office Holly Donald, Deputy Secretary for Asia and Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Deborah Geels, New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam Tredene Dobson, and Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Grant McPherson.

During her visit Prime Minister Ardern is set to hold talks with Prime Minister Pham, co-chair a press briefing, make a courtesy call on Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, meet President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, and participate in a business forum between the two countries and an event on agricultural connectivity.

The visit is expected to help enhance political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries in such fields as politics - diplomacy, defence - security, economy, investment, labor, education, technology, climate change, and digital transformation.

Ardern's Viet Nam visit aims to promote the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship, advance progress in key areas for cooperation agreed in the Strategic Partnership Framework, and discuss some of the challenging issues that are facing the region, according to New Zealand's Ambassador to Viet Nam Tredene Dobson.