Vietnam – New Zealand Business Dialogue

Speaking in front of more than 100 leading enterprises of the two countries, the Prime Minister said that the bilateral friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand is developing well in many fields, especially since the two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2009. Two-way trade turnover increased from 300 million USD in 2009 to 800 million USD in 2014 and could reached the milestone of 1 billion USD in 2015. At the afternoon meeting on March 19, the two Prime Ministers also agreed to double two-way trade turnover by 2020. New Zealand currently has 25 investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 82 million USD, ranking 43rd/101 countries and territories with foreign direct investment in Vietnam. Educational cooperation is also a bright spot in the pastrelationship between the two countries with nearly 2,000 Vietnamese students studying in New Zealand. The two sides also agreed to increase this number to 3,000 in the near future. Regarding the agricultural sector, the Prime Minister also called on New Zealand businesses to increase cooperation and investment in this field in Vietnam, especially technology transfer, agricultural product processing, and development of agricultural value chains and agricultural services to increase the value and competitiveness of agricultural products on the basis of mutual benefit. "The potential for cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand is still very large because the economies of the two countries have many complementary advantages. Vietnam's extensive reform and international integration process is opening up many great opportunities for investors, including New Zealand investors." - Prime ministerNguyen Tan Dung spoke.

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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung spoke at the Dialogue

The Vietnamese Government supports and creates favorable conditions for New Zealand businesses to invest in areas where New Zealand has strengths such as agriculture, mining, telecommunications, education and training and infrastructure development. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam is continuing to promote economic reform and restructuring, focusing on effectively implementing three strategic breakthroughs associated with innovating the growth model, improving productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy; continue to promote restructuring solutions; improve the operational efficiency of state-owned enterprises according to market mechanisms; comprehensively innovate education and training to develop high-quality human resources; continue to give high priority to development cin infrastructure, especially transportation and energy.

In addition, Vietnam is proactively and actively integrating deeply internationally to expand space for national development by actively implementing WTO commitments and signed free trade agreements (FTAs); At the same time, negotiate FTAs ​​with many important partners.

Answering questions from New Zealand businesses about barriers related to procedures, investment and business licenses, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said: In 2014, Vietnam issued and amended many important laws that are highly competitive compared to the region, especially the Investment Law and Enterprise Law, in order to create a more stable, equal and favorable environment for businesses in the regions. economic part. In addition, the Government is focusing on directing and promoting the reform of administrative procedures in the direction of increasing the efficiency of enforcement, making efforts to sharply reduce the time and costs of implementing administrative procedures, and striving in 2015 to achieve and exceed the average level of business environment indicators of the countries.ASEAN-6 countries and at least reach the average level of ASEAN-4 countries in 2016.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Simon Bridges, Minister of Transport and Energy of New Zealand, commented that the bilateral documents signed during this visit, including the Protocol to amend the Air Transport Agreement and the Agreement on Food Safety and Animal and Plant Quarantine, will help reduce trade barriers and strengthen business connections between the two countries. "Vietnam is changing rapidly and there is a great correspondence and fit between what New Zealand can provide and what Vietnam needs" - Minister Simon Bridges said that in the near future, he will lead a large New Zealand business delegation to Vietnam to explore and promote business cooperation and investment opportunities.

At the end of the dialogue, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received leaders of Air New Zealand Group, the airline that is planning to establish direct flights between the two countries. Bilateral economic, trade, investment, education and tourism cooperation has created prospects for the early establishment of direct flights between the two countries.

Receiving Chairman of Fonterra Group, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung supported business activities as well as cooperation between Fonterra and Vietnam's dairy industry; Dairy farming, supply of breeding dairy cows as well as milk production and processing are fields where both sides have potential, needs and can complement each other.