Sydney (VNA) - 🃏Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon is continuing his Southeast Asian pivot, as he and a business delegation leave for a three-day official visit to Vietnam, according to an article published on February 25 by The New Zealand Herald.

Talking to the local media on February 24, Luxon expressed optimism about his official visit to Vietnam, while emphasising the Southeast Asian economy's importance to New Zealand exporters. He described Vietnam as a huge opportunity for New Zealand and the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia. Two-way trade between the two countries is around 2.6 billion USD a year and with Vietnamese economy projected to grow by 6.5% both this and next year, Luxon wants to see the figure hit 3 billion USD by 2026, the article said. Luxon said the two countries have had more than 50 years of strong diplomatic relations but the New Zealand government wants to lift its level of engagement with Vietnam. “A real focus for us is growing the economy,” he said, adding that when one in four jobs in New Zealand is tied to trade, it makes sense to focus on building better relations with countries like Vietnam. The New Zealand Herald reported that, to attract Vietnamese businesses, Luxon is bringing along a 20-strong business delegation, including the top brass at the University of Auckland, AUT, Fonterra, Orion Health Group, Silver Fern Farms and Zespri, to hammer out some deals. Luxon will not only meet with business leaders of Vietnam, but also hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, and meet with top leaders of the Party, State, and National Assembly of Vietnam. According to the article, Vietnam’s private and public sectors are closely linked. On previous trips to Vietnam, such as that by then PM Jacinda Ardern in 2022, Luxon's visit opened the door for Vietnamese investment into New Zealand businesses, it said. Last year at the APEC Summit in Peru, Luxon announced his plans to focus on Asia this year. He said that a big focus for his country in 2024 has been Australia, the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia. In 2026, the country will focus on India, China and South Asia. The New Zealand PM said he was making good on this promise. So far he visited Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and now Vietnam./.