Top New Zealand legislator to pay official visit to Viet Nam

The visit will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.

This is the first visit to Viet Nam by Speaker Gerry Brownlee since he took office. It takes place in the context that both countries have celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (June 19, 1975).

The visit is expected to strengthen political trust, deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and make Viet Nam–New Zealand bilateral relations more substantive and effective.

Viet Nam and New Zealand elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recent February on the occasion of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's official visit to Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is currently New Zealand's 12th largest trading partner, with the two-way trade reaching US$1.3 billion in 2024, and US$737.2 million in the first half of this year.

The two countries have set goal of raising bilateral trade to US$3 billion by 2026.

In terms of investment, as of August 2025, New Zealand had 57 investment projects in Viet Nam with a total capital of US$208.6 million, focusing on real estate business, education and training, manufacturing and processing industries, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, administrative services, and construction.

Meanwhile, Viet Nam had 12 investment projects in New Zealand, worth US$44 million, in such areas as manufacturing and processing industries, accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail, distribution, import–export, and agriculture.

New Zealand has committed NZD26.7 million in non-refundable aid for Viet Nam in the 2021–2024 period./.