Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett

He paid a courtesy visit to Speaker of the Parliament, David Carter; held talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Paula Bennett; met with Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee and Trade Minister Todd McClay and attended a banquet hosted by Attorney-General Chris Finlayson. During the meetings, the two sides agreed to promote two-way trade turnover to US$1.7 billion by 2020. They prioritized investment cooperation in agriculture, renewable energy and infrastructure where New Zealand has advantages. New Zealand leaders pledged to maintain ODA funding for Vietnam in social security, agricultural and rural development, human resources and climate change response. Deputy Prime Minister Hue affirmed that Viet Nam backs New Zealand’s closer cooperation and cohesion with ASEAN and Southeast Asia. Both sides hailed the importance of maintaining peace and stability, as well as aviation and maritime security, safety and freedom in the region; peacefully solving disputes in line with international laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC); and soon finalizing a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.