NZ PM Christopher Luxon and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh from the official welcome ceremony and guard of honour in Hanoi. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
The Prime Minister has signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with his Vietnamese counterpart Phạm Minh Chính.
The two signed off on the deal in Hanoi, where Luxon has visited with a trade delegation.
New Zealand is just the 10th country Vietnam has signed such a deal with, and the seventh in just the last three years. Malaysia, France, Australia, Japan, the US, South Korea have all recently inked deals.
NZ PM Christopher Luxon and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh from the official welcome ceremony and guard of honour in Hanoi. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it put the relationship at its highest level.
"They have these relationships with a very small handful of countries, and it just means that we're continuing to deepen our relationship with a critical country that'll be a more significant player in our region and in the world in the years ahead," he said.
Luxon's arrival at the government buildings was met with a military guard of honour.
He shared a few laughs with Chính, who was the first world leader to visit New Zealand after Luxon became prime minister.
Their bilateral was set down for an hour, but lasted barely half that as the two strolled into the Grand Hall to ink the deal.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be here in person to celebrate this historic occasion. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects the increasing strength of our relationship, its depth and also its breadth and our interests in working more closely together," Luxon said at the ceremony.
Speaking through a translator, Chính said it showed the two countries' commitment to regional security and economic co-operation.
NZ PM Christopher Luxon and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh from the official welcome ceremony and guard of honour in Hanoi. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
"This new framework will not only enhance political trust, but also deepen and expand co-operation across multiple areas. It reflects the shared aspirations of our peoples, and it's grounded in respect for international law," he said.
Luxon said the partnership boosted the relationship not just politically, but also in economics and trade, defence, climate change, and people-to-people movement.
The upgrade to the relationship was timely, as the Indo Pacific region navigates increasing geostrategic challenges.
Luxon also addressed an Association of South East Nations forum, where he warned that rules were being subsumed by power as nations sought to advance their interests.
"The Indo-Pacific is simultaneously the engine room of global economic activity and a potential hotspot for geo-political tension. Military expansion and modernisation is occurring at a scale not seen in this region for more than half a century," he said.
"As militaries modernise, we need a constant commitment to transparency. By providing plausible reassurance about the purpose of military modernisation projects, confidence will grow, creating a collective sense of security."
NZ PM Christopher Luxon and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh from the official welcome ceremony and guard of honour in Hanoi. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
Luxon also met with Vietnam's president Lương Cường, and General Secretary of the Communist Party Tô Lâm. A fourth meeting with National Assembly chair Trần Thanh Mẫn is also set down for Thursday.
Vietnam's system of government means all four hold sway, though most of Luxon's engagement has been with Chính.
The two will meet again on Thursday for a series of cultural visits.
In the afternoon he heads to Ho Chi Minh City, where politics will take a backseat, with the visit shifting to a series of business visits and New Zealand product showcases, as well as further moves to make travel between the two countries earlier.
At the ceremony Luxon revealed airline carrier VietJet was developing a new route to New Zealand.
It was ideal timing, given he had also overseen the signing of a series of memorandums of understanding and scholarships to increase the number of Vietnamese students coming to New Zealand.
