Mr. James Kember, former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam from 2006 to 2009. (Photo: VNA)
“With a young population, a priority on education and especially clear goals and aspirations for achieving stronger economic development, it is no surprise that Vietnam has made steady and rapid progress over the past 10-15 years,” said James Kember, former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam from 2006 to 2009, in an interview with a VNA correspondent in Oceania on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and New Zealand (June 19, 1975 - June 19, 2025).
According to former Ambassador James Kember, that development was reinforced by many factors, including contributions from the overseas Vietnamese community.
Former Ambassador James Kember recalled telling a colleague while in Vietnam that although Vietnam might be developing more slowly than other countries at the time, he was confident that the Southeast Asian nation would grow at a much faster pace and soon surpass other economies . So far, his prediction has been correct.
Former Ambassador James Kember shared that from the very first weeks after arriving in Vietnam in mid-2006, he realized that Vietnam highly valued and understood the importance ofeducation , so he invested heavily in this field, considering it the future foundation for development, making strategic decisions on how to maximize opportunities.
In fact, many Vietnamese students have gone to New Zealand to study. This proves that Vietnam not only invests in domestic education but also encourages young people to study and learn abroad.
The Vietnamese Student Association in New Zealand, the Wellington Student Association in collaboration with the Vietnamese Association in Wellington and the Vietnamese Embassy organized "Vietnam Cultural Day 2024." (Photo: VNA)
In addition to the strong educational relationship between Vietnam and New Zealand, many New Zealand companies have also participated in supporting Vietnam's economic development in industries such as food and dairy, manufacturing and service provision...
Former Ambassador James Kember said that his time working in the S-shaped strip of land was extremely interesting and rewarding, and expressed his joy at witnessing Vietnam's transformation since then.
Former Ambassador James Kember recalled that at that time, the trade and development team at the New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam was always busy.
During his travels across Vietnam, he was delighted to learn about ways New Zealand could contribute to development programmes in several provinces in Vietnam.
New Zealand Customs, Defence and Police attachés have regularly visited and discussed with their Vietnamese counterparts how to strengthen bilateral relations.
Defense relations were promoted through naval visits, visits by senior military personnel and discussions on Vietnam's potential contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
At a time when Vietnam is taking on more responsibility for leading regional initiatives, former Ambassador James Kember was pleased that New Zealand was able to increase the number of English language training places for senior and mid-level Vietnamese officials.
He was particularly excited to be in this Southeast Asian country at the time when Vietnam hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2006 and directly participated in the successful negotiations on the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in 2010 right after his term ended.
In the context of Vietnam and New Zealand upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in early 2025, former Ambassador James Kember said that the standards for cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand have become increasingly higher, but it is important that actions speak louder than words. According to him, Vietnam and New Zealand have actually had more in-depth exchanges that have benefited both countries.
Former Ambassador James Kember stressed that it is important to find a common voice and identify the reasons for differences in the context that Vietnam and New Zealand are both located in the Asia-Pacific region, which is experiencing many fluctuations.
According to Mr. James Kember, trade relations, cooperation in areas such as defense and education and people-to-people exchanges are key to the bilateral relationship, requiring continuous efforts from relevant parties, both at the government level and organizations, to turn aspirations into positive actions./.
Thanh Tu - (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/new-zealand-cuu-dai-su-james-kember-an-tuong-ve-mot-viet-nam-but-pha-post1044349.vnp
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