Hon Murray McCully Minister of Foreign Affairs

PM To Hold Summit With ASEAN Leaders

Prime Minister John Key will hold a summit with ASEAN leaders when he travels to Viet Nam for the East Asia Summit in October, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, today.

“It will be the first time New Zealand and ASEAN leaders have met in such a format,” Mr McCully said.

“The decision to convene the summit reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening our relationship with ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations), as well as the value ASEAN places on New Zealand as a key regional partner.

“ASEAN is now our third-largest trading partner, with two-way trade worth around $10 billion last year, and it is the driving force behind key regional fora in which New Zealand participates, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit.

“The summit will provide the opportunity for the Prime Minister to talk directly with the ten ASEAN leaders, and to further strengthen our ties with this important region.”

Mr McCully is in Ha Noi to attend the ASEAN-New Zealand Post Ministerial Conference; the ASEAN Regional Forum; East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ consultations, and the South West Pacific Dialogue meeting.

The Post-Ministerial Conference has endorsed a new Comprehensive Partnership between New Zealand and ASEAN, to be presented to leaders in October. The agreement will deepen cooperation in key areas such as trade, security, disaster management, education, environment, and cultural links.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

ENDS

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