(VOVworld)- Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung has stressed that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s just concluded visit to Australia and New Zealand heightened Vietnam’s relationship with these two countries.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung pays an official visit to Australia on March 17 and 18

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Trung said that Australia and New Zealand agreed to boost their relationship with Vietnam toward strategic partnerships. Trung said the leaders agreed on the need to maintain peace and security in the Asia Pacific region and the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, not threatening to use or using force, resolving maritime disputes in accordance with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Australia called on all sides to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), restrain and prevent actions to cause tensions in the region such as compelling and using force to change the status quo as well as soon establish the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visits to Australia and New Zealand opened a new chapter for strengthening Vietnam’s friendship and comprehensive partnership with these two countries in the near future.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key agree to increase two-way trade to 2 billion New Zealand dollars by 2020

New Zealand’s media widely covered Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit. New Zealand Radio said the two sides agreed to double two-way trade to more than 2 billion New Zealand dollars by 2020. The New Zealand Herald said the two countries agreed to tighten national defense ties and that Vietnam wanted New Zealand to help training officers for the UN Peace keeping mission. The leaders discussed the East Sea issue and agreed on the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and abide by international law.  New Zealand’s media highlighted the two countries’ pledge to strengthen cooperation in education, agriculture, aviation and food safety.