Before talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, John Key paid his respects at the Monument for National Heroes and then at the Mausoleum for Ho Chi Minh.
Prime Minister John Key and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung today paid their respects to the people and Government of France in the wake of Paris terrorist attacks on Saturday.
Mr Key and Mr Dung made their comments after their formal talks in Hanoi.
Prime Minister John Key and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung after their talks. Photo / Audrey Young, NZ Herald
Mr Key said New Zealand and Vietnam stood in condemnation of the attacks.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris.
"We know that the pain and suffering that they are going through is a tremendous burden to carry and we stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they fight the evil of the terrorist attack that took place in their country."
Mr Dung expressed his "shock and strong condemnation" at the attacks.
"Together with the international community, Vietnam would like to express its condolences to the Government and people of France, especially to the victims of the attacks and we believe that with the strong efforts of the French Government, the perpetrators will be severely punished."
Before the talks Mr Key paid his respects at the Monument for National Heroes and then at the Mausoleum for Ho Chi Minh.
About 2 million civilians died in the Vietnam war from both sides, 1.1 million North Vietnamese soldiers, 200,000 South Vietnamese, 58,200 US soldiers, 4000 South Koreans, 500 Australians, 350 Thais and 39 New Zealanders.
Mr Key was welcomed by Mr Dung, himself a war veteran, at the presidential palace where they inspected a guard of honour.
Mr Key said the pair had launched "a new era in bilateral relations" which would see increased cooperation on a number of fronts including education and aviation.
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce took part in the talks and signed a strategic education partnership afterwards which commits both countries to increasing the number of Vietnamese students studying in New Zealand by 30 per cent within two years.
Last year 2022 Vietnamese students studied in New Zealand.
Prime Minister John Key pays his respects at the the Monument for National Heroes, Hanoi. Photo / Audrey Young, NZ Herald
Mr Dung told media that they had discussed measures to promote bilateral security and defence co-operation, including information exchanges, training and co-operation between armed services and peace-keeping operations.
He said New Zealand agreed to facilitate the access of agricultural and fruit products such as star fruits and grapefruit to New Zealand markets.
Other areas of potential co-operation included food safety, healthcare, transportation, culture, and increased cooperation at local government level.
Mr Dung will be attending the Asean summit and East Asia summit in Malaysia later this week where territorial disputes with China are expected to loom large.
Mr Dung said he and Mr shared views on the regional landscape "including tensions in the East Sea also known as the South China Sea, essentially the massive reclamation that undermines trust, raises great concern among international communities, and negatively affects peace, security and stability in the region."
