Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and spouse left Hà Nội on March 11 to make official visits to New Zealand and Australia (Source: Vietnam News)

Director General of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen Thi Minh will sign a training cooperation agreement for 2018-2019 with Waikato University of New Zealand as she accompanies Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the PM’s official visit to New Zealand from March 12-14.

The deal aims to concretise bilateral commitments and improve their cooperation to build a modern, professional, sustainable and effective social security industry. The training cooperation between the VSS and the New Zealand university is considered a vivid illustration of the two countries’ effective collaboration in education and training.

The two sides have signed a comprehensive cooperation framework deal providing assistance in improving professional capacity, institutions and policies as well as mobilising financial resources to develop a sustainable and friendly social security system.

They have also diversified forms of cooperation such as opening English training courses for Vietnamese social security officials in New Zealand, building a postgraduate training programme on social security, organising workshops and conferences and joining international projects.

Knowledge and experience gained from the Waikato University helps the VSS review and adjust the implementation of policies on social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance, while enhancing personnel’s capacity to meet the requirements of regional and global integration.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse are making official visits to New Zealand from March 12-14 and to Australia from March 14-18 at the invitation of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull.

The PM is accompanied by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Trade and Industry Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, and head of the National Assembly Ombudsman Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai.

Other officials accompanying the PM are Deputy Minister of National Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Thanh, Secretary of the Ha Tinh Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Dinh Son, Secretary of the Phu Yen Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Huynh Tan Viet, Secretary of the An Giang Party Committee Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Director General of the Voice of Vietnam Nguyen The Ky, Deputy Minister - Director General of the VSS Nguyen Thi Minh, and Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung.

Upon his arrival in the Auckland international airport on March 12 afternoon (local time) to begin an official visit to New Zealand, the PM and his delegation were welcomed by New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews and Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung, among others.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse were welcomed at Auckland international airport (Source: Internet)

As scheduled, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Andern will chair an official ceremony to welcome Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse on March 13.  Afterwards, PM Phuc will have a bilateral meeting with Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff and meet with the Vietnamese community in New Zealand. He is due to attend the Vietnam-New Zealand business forum, receive some New Zealand’s big businesses, and visit several local research facilities.

Vietnam and New Zealand have signed an action programme for the 2017-2020 period. The two countries hope to increase bilateral trade to 1.7 billion USD by 2020.

On the threshold of the PM’s official visit to New Zealand, Deputy Minister - Director General of the VSS Nguyen Thi Minh granted an interview to Vietnam Television-VTV1 channel. Please find the full interview as the website link below: 

http://vtv.vn/trong-nuoc/tao-dong-luc-moi-cho-quan-he-hop-tac-viet-nam-new-zealand-20180311180632876.htm

International Cooperation Department