(VOV) - The Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand held a get-together in Auckland of overseas Vietnamese and New Zealand friends to welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year festival (Tet).

Ambassador Nguyen Viet Dung said he hopes OVs in New Zealand will continue to strengthen solidarity, preserve their national and cultural identity including the Vietnamese language, and join hands to promote bilateral friendship and comprehensive cooperation. Mr. Dung said Vietnam and New Zealand have seen steady development and significant progress in their comprehensive partnership. Last year witnessed Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to New Zealand in March and PM John Key’s vsit to Vietnam in November to mark the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic ties.