Special welcome for PM in New Zealand

The welcome ceremony for visiting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh as he arrived in the New Zealand capital Wellington on March 11 began with a traditional ceremony of the indigenous Maori people.

Maori warriors performed a traditional weapon dance to welcome distinguished guests. They placed a wooden sword, symbolizing trust and hospitality, on the ground before Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse. The Prime Minister picked up the sword and held it throughout the welcoming ceremony, demonstrating respect for Maori culture.

Captain Kaikaranga, a spiritual leader in the Maori community, gave his blessings and prayed for the distinguished guests. A Maori dance group then performed, further electrifying the atmosphere.

Prime Minister Chinh and his spouse engaged in the Hongi ritual with Maori leaders, demonstrating unity, harmony, and mutual respect. The Hongi (pressing noses against each other) is a distinctive Maori greeting ritual.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, his wife, the Speaker of the House of Representative, and the Deputy Commander of New Zealand’s armed forces greeted Prime Minister Chinh in front of an honorary podium. As the Vietnamese national anthem was played, a 19-cannon salute was fired.

After reviewing the guards of honor, Prime Minister Chinh returned to the podium, after which the national anthem was played once more, ending the welcome ceremony. The Prime Minister and his spouse then entered the reception room to sign the guest book, before the two Prime Ministers began their meeting and signed cooperation agreements.

In Wellington, Prime Minister Chinh met with officials and employees at the Vietnamese Embassy as well as Vietnamese people living in New Zealand.

He will hold discussions during the visit with Vietnamese and New Zealand businesses, meet with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor-General of New Zealand, deliver policy speeches, and meet with students from Victoria University.

On March 10, leaders of the Vietnamese Government engaged in several activities in Auckland, including meeting with the Vietnamese tech group VietTech NZ, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato, the Chairman of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Chairman of the Auckland Business Chamber, and representatives from prominent New Zealand businesses. They also visited the Crop and Food Research Center.

The two countries’ relations have been unceasingly developing during nearly 50 years of diplomatic ties and were upgraded to a strategic partnership in July 2020.

Vietnam is currently New Zealand’s 14^th-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade standing at $1.3 billion in 2023. As of last November, New Zealand had 52 investment projects in Vietnam with capital of $208.35 million, ranking it 39^th among 143 countries and territories with investment in the country.

There are some 11,000 Vietnamese people in New Zealand, primarily in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.