Dr Andrew Butcher provides a summary of the dialogue in Ha Noi:

Viet Nam’s economy is experiencing extraordinary growth and vibrancy, and is emerging as a major player in Southeast Asia. For that reason, and following an announcement by New Zealand’s Prime Minister and Viet Nam’s President last year, Asia New Zealand led the delegation for New Zealand’s first ever Track 1.5 bilateral dialogue with the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam in Ha Noi in early June 2008.

The Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (DAV) is the training organisation for Viet Nam’s Foreign Service, and some of their leading current and emerging diplomats participated in the dialogue, including a significant number of young people.

Notable for its free-flowing conversation and informality, the dialogue was a resounding success and there is an intention for a New Zealand-based dialogue to occur with the DAV in 18 months’ time.

Viet Nam is currently at the beginning of its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a seat that New Zealand had in the 1990s. Members of the New Zealand delegation shared their own experiences of New Zealand’s time on the Security Council and both countries talked extensively about UN reform and participation by emerging economies in regional and global organisations. Other topics covered included new political and security architecture in East Asia, including the roles of China, India, the United States and Australia in the region; East Asia economic cooperation; the prospects for East Asian integration; and Viet Nam-New Zealand relations.

Led by Asia:NZ’s Executive Director, Dr Richard Grant, the New Zealand delegation also included Dr Andrew Butcher, Asia:NZ’s Director of Policy and Research; Wook Jin Lee, a member of the Asia:NZ Young Leaders Network; Dr David Capie, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington; New Zealand’s Ambassador to Viet Nam Dr James Kember; New Zealand’s Deputy Head of Mission in Viet Nam Jeremy Clarke-Watson; Brian Lynch, Director of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs; and Terence O’Brien, Founding Director of the New Zealand Centre for Strategic Studies.

   Related link: Papers presented at the Viet Nam bilateral dialogue

Dr Richard Grant led the New Zealand delegation