| | SEPTEMBER 20269Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung conducted a bilateral meeting with New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay in Auckland, during the activities of a high-ranking delegation accompanying the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam on his official visit to New Zealand.During the meeting, Hung reiterated that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand has been thriving, becoming more substantial and extensive. The nations have several shared values and uphold strong connections through both bilateral relations and regional multilateral structures.In light of challenges confronting the global and regional economies and persistent geopolitical uncertainties, the two ministers engaged in discussions about strategies to enhance bilateral economic and trade collaboration, guarantee the uninterrupted movement of essential goods and regional supply chains, and strive to meet the goal of 3 billion USD in bilateral trade shortly.To enhance trade and progress toward the established goal, Hung urged New Zealand to collaborate effectively in speeding up market access for agricultural and food items, fostering reciprocal trade and investment, and motivating New Zealand companies to invest in Vietnam. Singapore and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology on August 17, as Singapore builds up its capabilities to assess the potential deployment of nuclear energy.The agreement, signed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), is part of Singapore's recent engagements with a range of international partners such as the US, France and South Korea.The MOU will support Singapore's efforts in developing independent capabilities to make an objective and technical assessment of the potential deployment of nuclear energy, MTI said in a media release on Monday.The engagements with international partners will also contribute to Singapore's preparations for the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Phase 1 mission in 2027, it said.The MOU was signed by MTI Permanent Secretary (Energy & Trade) Augustin Lee and CAEA Vice-Chairman Liu Jing. Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng and CAEA Chairman Shan Zhongde witnessed the signing. VIETNAM, NEW ZEALAND TO RAISE BILATERAL TRADE TO $3 BILLIONSINGAPORE, CHINA SIGN PACT ON PEACEFUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION"Economic growth in developing Asia and the Pacific remains resilient, but persistent headwinds caused by the conflict [in the Middle East] require a careful policy balance between supporting growth and containing inflation"Albert Park, Chief Economist, Asian Development BankEXPERT SAYS
< Page 8 | Page 10 >