Hanoi, July 23 -- Addressing the event, Le welcomed the steady progress in bilateral cooperation and underscored the need to translate the strong political foundation of the relationship into tangible and practical outcomes by fully leveraging each side's strengths and addressing remaining challenges.

He called on ASEAN and New Zealand to prioritize cooperation in ensuring people's essential needs, strengthening secure and resilient food and energy supply chains, and enhancing collaboration in maritime security, safety and connectivity. He also stressed the importance of promoting the sustainable development of the blue economy in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)....