Christopher Luxon with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Vietnam. Photo: Giles Dexter/RNZ
Christopher Luxon has described his trip to Vietnam as "a very, very special visit" and a success.
The Prime Minister was in Vietnam this week for political and business discussions, including the signing of a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement.
Luxon previously described Vietnam as a "rising star" of Southeast Asia, with one of the fastest growing economies in the region.
The deals completed left him feeling good about the relationship, Luxon said.
"I leave here coming out of Vietnam really confident about the state of the relationship between the two countries at a political level but also really important about the trade and investment opportunities that exist in the relationship too," Luxon said.
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement was hugely important to that relationship, especially for business, he said.
Luxon rings a gong in Vietnam. Photo: Giles Dexter/RNZ
"To be one of only 10 countries that Vietnam has extended the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership status to is really, very important. But it means that we can continue to deepen and broaden the relationship across a number of dimensions.
"It just gives us opportunity and a framework for our businesses to come forward who have seen the potential of this market, understand that this is going to be a country that will move from low income to middle income to high income to be able to get in on the ground floor in a growing market that's going to be very profitable."
Luxon pointed to international education opportunities, including attracting more Vietnamese students to New Zealand.
"New Zealand education is held in very high esteem here."
An announcement that VietJet would start flying to New Zealand four times a week from September would also help attract international students and tourists, he said.
"If you're a parent here who wants to send your child down to do an undergraduate degree in New Zealand ... you want to be able to access your student as well and for every student that we send there can be up to three or four visits a year of visitors coming to see them so that's an example of how that activity starts to happen."
Christopher Luxon is due to arrive back in Auckland on Saturday afternoon.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
