Young leader on the Viet Nam – New Zealand Track II Dialogue
Jordan Green reports from the recent Track II Dialogue, which was held in Wellington and hosted by Asia:NZ.
On the 22 and 23 March I was fortunate enough to be one of two Young Leaders who attended the second Track II Dialogue between Viet Nam and New Zealand. This was a great chance to hear the papers presented and discussions that followed. It also provided an opportunity to interact with the two countries’ impressive delegations, as well as the other observers who attended over the two days. Viet Nam’s delegation was comprised of four members of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and was led by the Academy’s President Ambassador Prof Duong Van Quang. New Zealand’s delegation was led by Asia:NZ’s Executive Director Dr Richard Grant and was comprised of selected academics and other eminent persons.
On the first morning, we listened to four speakers (two from New Zealand and two from Viet Nam) on the topic of Regional Architecture (this is about regional institutions and the effects they have on the region – not buildings). This session included the Australian initiative of an Asia Pacific Community (APC) and the two delegations’ views, as well as discussion of the role of the big players on Regional Architecture. The discussion on these two areas was highly informative and it was interesting to hear the difference between each person’s definitions of who was a big player within the region.
After lunch, which not only provided great food but also an opportunity to chat informally with all the participants, the discussions turned to ASEAN and included topics such as New Zealand’s views on ASEAN and the role of Viet Nam in ASEAN integration and East Asia integration. This session provided lively discussion and highlighted the pride with which Viet Nam takes over the Chairmanship of ASEAN this year and their desire to make real and tangible progress during their leadership. The final event of Monday was a fantastic dinner where the two delegations (and us lucky Young Leaders) were able to interact in a very relaxed manner, discuss a range of issues and get to know something about each other.
On Tuesday morning we moved onto the final session which was on Viet Nam – New Zealand relations. These discussions covered the economic interactions and cooperation between the two countries, as well as student exchanges and other valuable interactions. In the closing discussions of the dialogue, the Viet Nam delegation highlighted the benefit to their country of having served as a member of the UN Security Council. This was something of which they were very proud, and rightly so. After lunch the Viet Nam delegation had to head straight for the airport to fly home after what had been a whirlwind trip, arriving at midnight on Sunday and leaving Tuesday afternoon. Attending this dialogue was an incredibly valuable experience for me personally and I really appreciate the opportunity to take part in these events.
Read more:
View more information on the Dialogue and the papers presented in our track II section.
