    |
 |
|
A ceremony is held to welcome the Vietnamese military delegation |
Gen. Cuong, who is paying an official visit to New Zealand, was welcomed with Karanga, a traditional welcome ceremony performed by the Maori people. The ceremony is often held to welcome distinguished guests.
|
|
 |
|
Gen. Cuong speaking at the event |
After the welcome ceremony, the two officials held talks, during which they expressed their delight at the active, intensive and practical development of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand, in line with signed agreements, contributing to peace, stability and common development of the two countries, and of the region and the world.
Both sides highlighted the effective implementation of the bilateral defense ties to meet each side’s needs and strength on the basis of the memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation signed in 2013.
They agreed that despite huge impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two defense ministries have maintained high-level contacts at ministerial and deputy ministerial levels through phone talks and defense cooperation dialogue and defense consultation mechanisms via virtual format.
Both defense chiefs evaluated that the two militaries have pro-actively participated in multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) and Experts’ Working Groups within ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), thus joining hands with other countries to uphold regional and global peace, stability and development.
Based on the two countries’ strategic partnership, the two sides agreed that there is ample room for the bilateral defense ties to develop.
To bolster the cooperation between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Defense Force of New Zealand, the two sides were unanimous to concentrate on such fields as exchanges of all level delegations and contacts, consultation-dialogue mechanisms, personnel training, U.N. peacekeeping. They also agreed to consider the expansion of fields in which both sides have demand and capability such as cyber security, military medicine, cooperation between training facilities, defense industry. In addition, both sides reached agreement on strengthening consultations and cooperation at multilateral mechanisms to which both countries are members, particularly ADMM+’s Experts’ Working Groups, so as to improve Vietnam’s international integration in terms of defense and reinforce the ASEAN - New Zealand strategic partnership.
In the afternoon the same day, the Vietnamese Chief of the General Staff visited the New Zealand Command and Staff College.
Earlier, in the morning the same day, Gen. Cuong paid a courtesy call on Minister of Defense of New Zealand Andrew Little.
|
|
 |
|
Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong (first from left) at the meeting with Minister of Defense of New Zealand Andrew Little (Photo: Courtesy of the Defense Force of New Zealand) |
Welcoming Gen. Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation to New Zealand, Mr. Andrew Little spoke highly of the visit’s significance, saying that it will help enhance the bilateral defense cooperation.
Sending thanks to the host for the warm reception, Gen. Cuong underlined that Vietnam always attaches importance to its cooperation with New Zealand and highly appreciates the country’s potential and position.
The Vietnamese general expressed his delight that the Vietnam - New Zealand strategic partnership has positively developed in an intensive and substantive manner in different fields, contributing to peace, stability and common development.
He believed that with due attention and support from senior leaders of the two countries and the two defense ministries as well as the activeness and pro-activeness of the two militaries, the bilateral defense cooperation will further thrive in the coming time, becoming one of the important pillars in the two countries’ strategic partnership.
By Tien Dat from Wellington, New Zealand
Translated by Mai Huong