On the morning of August 13 (local time), in Auckland city, New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro chaired a ceremony to welcome General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation on a state visit to New Zealand (from August 12-14, 2026).
The welcoming ceremony was solemnly held according to the ritual for foreign heads of state on state visits to New Zealand, including the traditional welcoming ceremony of the Maori natives and the official welcoming ceremony.
Entering the traditional welcoming ceremony of the Maori indigenous people, the two Maori elders greeted General Secretary and President To Lam according to the traditional "hongi" ritual of the Maori indigenous people and invited the General Secretary and President to attend the traditional guest welcoming ritual of the Maori indigenous people.
A Maori warrior dances with weapons and places a wooden knife on the ground in front of General Secretary and President To Lam. General Secretary and President To Lam receives the knife and holds it throughout the ceremony.
The warrior invited General Secretary and President To Lam and the delegation to enter the official welcoming area. The Maori natives continued to perform traditional national dances, through dances, eyes, singing, and shouts in the Maori dialect, expressing the joy of welcoming guests and honoring the connection between the host and the guests.
Next, General Secretary and President To Lam continued to perform the traditional "hongi" (nasal touch) salutation ceremony and concluded the traditional welcoming ceremony.
At the official welcoming ceremony, New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam on a state visit to New Zealand. The Captain of the Honor Guard shouted the order to continue performing the rituals, and at the same time, the Military Band sang the Vietnamese National Anthem.
At the end of the welcoming ceremony, General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro; talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon; witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents and met with the press.
The State visit to New Zealand by General Secretary and President To Lam this time takes place at a time when Vietnam is entering a new stage of development, prioritizing the development of human resource quality, high-value agriculture and green growth. These are areas where New Zealand has leading experience and prestige and the two sides are also effectively implementing cooperation in these areas.
