Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung shared the Vietnamese economic situation, development prospects, and cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and New Zealand while addressing a business dialogue in Auckland city on March 20 (local time) as part of his working trip.
Speaking before nearly 100 leading businesses of the two countries, the PM noted that Vietnam’s extensive international integration have created plenty of room for bilateral cooperation as well as huge opportunities for foreign investors, including those from New Zealand.
The Vietnamese Government backs and creates favourable conditions for NZ businesses to invest in the fields of their strength such as agriculture, mining, telecom, education-training, and infrastructure development, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said.
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung addresses at the dialogue |
He particularly called on NZ businesses to increase investment in agricultural technological transfer, processing farm produce, and developing value chains and services in the field.
He stated that Vietnam is accelerating economic and educational reforms to increase the competitiveness and business operational efficiency as well as developing high-quality human resources.
Transport and energy infrastructure improvements were given priority, the leader told.
The country is also actively implementing its World Trade Organisation commitments, signed free trade agreements (FTA) and other under-negotiation deals with many important partners, he noted, stressing that once the talks for 2015-2020 FTAs conclude, Vietnam will become a key link in the global economic network of 55 partners, including 15 members from the G20.
Following the dialogue, PM Nguyen Tan Dung received leaders of the Air New Zealand group, which plans to set up a direct air route between the two countries.
Welcoming Chairman of the NZ dairy cooperative Fonterra, the PM said he supports the business cooperation between the group and the Vietnamese dairy company Vinamilk since dairy cow breeding and processing is a potential field for the two countries.
In 2014, Vietnam imported around 280 million USD of milk and milk products from NZ – which is home to 4 million dairy cows.
Trade between Vietnam and New Zealand surged to over 900 million USD in 2014 from 300 million USD in 2009, and is likely to exceed 1 billion USD in 2015.
New Zealand is running 25 investment projects worth 82 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 43 out of the 101 countries and territories having direct investment in Vietnam.
Source: VNA
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