Prime ministers Christopher Luxon and Pham Minh Chinh when they met in Wellington last year. Photo: Twitter / NZ Embassy Vietnam
The Prime Minister will visit Vietnam next week, for his second overseas trip of the year.
Christopher Luxon will travel to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with a delegation of senior business leaders in tow for a trip focused on economic growth.
Luxon said Vietnam was a "rising star" of Southeast Asia, with one of the fastest growing economies in the region.
He said he was committed to reaching a two-way trade goal of US$3 billion (NZ$5.2b) in 2026.
"This year our two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. My visit will further energise our relationships, strengthen existing trade, and open the door to more opportunities for New Zealand businesses, to grow incomes and create jobs here at home," he said in a statement.
Luxon said trade with Vietnam had grown by 40 percent in the past five years, and it was a market with "huge opportunity" for New Zealand in the areas of international education, and food and beverage offerings.
Luxon will meet with Vietnamese prime minister Pham Minh Chinh to discuss the strategic partnership between the two countries.
In Hanoi, he will also deliver a keynote speech at the ASEAN Future Forum.
He will be accompanied on the trip by Minister of State for Trade and Investment Nicola Grigg.
The last Prime Ministerial visit to Vietnam was in 2022, by Dame Jacinda Ardern.
Luxon was also supposed to visit Indonesia ahead of the trip to Vietnam, but a change in President Prabowo Subianto's schedule means the visit is no longer going ahead.
Earlier this week, Indonesia's foreign minister Sugiono spoke with Winston Peters to discuss the progress of the two countries' bilateral co-operation.
RNZ understands Sugiono conveyed his apologies that the meeting between Luxon and Prabowo would no longer be able to go ahead. The two leaders are expected to speak on the phone soon.
Luxon and Prabowo met for a bilateral while the two were in Peru for APEC last year.
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