The agreement was reached during talks in Auckland on August 13 between New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam who is in New Zealand on a three-day state visit.

The two leaders pledged to further consolidate political trust through high-level and other exchanges across Party, State and parliamentary channels, as well as people-to-people contacts, and effectively implement the 2025-2030 Action Programme for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Trade and investment at the heart of bilateral ties

The two leaders said the Vietnamese and New Zealand economies are highly complementary and identified trade and investment as an important pillar with considerable room for expansion, particularly in agricultural, aquatic and seafood products.

They vowed to make better use of trade agreements shared by the two countries, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

The two sides will work to facilitate trade and market access for their respective key agricultural products, reduce technical barriers and enhance cooperation on quality standards, quarantine, food safety and electronic certification.

They will also create more favourable conditions for businesses from each country to invest in the other’s market.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon affirmed that New Zealand will continue to strongly promote trade and investment cooperation, creating more opportunities for businesses from the two countries to invest and cooperate with each other.

New space for technology and innovation

Science and technology, innovation and digital transformation also featured prominently in the talks. The two leaders shared the view that the development goals of both countries increasingly rely on science, technology and innovation.

Prime Minister Luxon praised Vietnam’s efforts to develop policies and solutions for applying artificial intelligence to data sovereignty and national digital sovereignty.

New Zealand will continue sharing experience with Vietnam in areas including digital government, science and technology ecosystems, and innovation and startup support centres, he told his guest.

The two sides’ focus on these areas is expected to complement existing cooperation and generate new opportunities for collaboration as both countries pursue new development models.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam expressed appreciation for New Zealand’s practical and effective support for Vietnam over the years, particularly in agriculture and the environment.

He called for continued cooperation in developing green, low-emission and climate-resilient agriculture, ensuring food security and increasing the added value of agricultural products.

The two sides also agreed to develop exemplary models of cooperation in sustainable agriculture.

More substantive defence and security ties

The two sides also agreed to make defence and security cooperation more substantive and effective.

Priority areas include maritime security, naval exchanges, cybersecurity and military medicine. They will also study the establishment of a direct communication mechanism or hotline for cases involving transnational crime and accelerate negotiations toward establishing a bilateral cooperation mechanism and signing a relevant agreement.

Meanwhile, education, tourism, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges were identified as important drivers of bilateral relations.

The two sides will expand cooperation in training high-quality human resources with the expertise and skills required for the new development phase.

They also encouraged airlines from both countries to move toward opening direct air routes, helping reduce the geographical distance between Vietnam and New Zealand and presenting more opportunities for people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation.

Greater coordination in regional and global affairs

The two leaders agreed to further coordinate on regional and international issues of mutual concern through multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations.

Prime Minister Luxon expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s role as coordinator of ASEAN-New Zealand relations and its support for New Zealand’s elevation of ties with ASEAN to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He also affirmed New Zealand’s support for Vietnam during its APEC 2027 year.

The two sides reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law and settling disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The outcomes of the talks point to a broader agenda for the Vietnam-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with the two sides seeking to turn their complementary strengths into more concrete cooperation in trade, investment, technology, agriculture, security and connectivity.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam arrived Auckland on August 12, beginning a three-day visit to New Zealand at the invitation of Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.