New Zealand trade minister visits India, Thailand

Source: Xinhua | 02-17-2009 12:58

WELLINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser leaves on Tuesday for India and Thailand, where he will progress New Zealand's trade priorities and discuss international climate change issues.

Trade liberalization will be high on Groser's agenda throughout the trip.

In New Delhi, discussions will be held on the India-New Zealand Joint Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Study. In Thailand, Groser will sign the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

"We are in the closing stages of concluding the FTA Study with India and I look forward to discussing the issues in depth with my counterpart Kamal Nath. Concluding the study is a key step toward the launch of bilateral FTA negotiations," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Groser will then travels to Hua Hin, Thailand, where he will join with his Australian and ASEAN counterparts to sign the AANZFTA.

"Concluding this FTA is a huge achievement and will create new opportunities for New Zealand exporters and investors with one of the world's most dynamic economic regions," he said.

"At this time of real global economic pressure it is a significant result. It sends an important signal to the international community about the importance of continuing regional economic integration and resisting protectionism," Groser added.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

ASEAN represents a market of more than 566 million people and accounts for more than 1,400 billion U.S. dollars in global trade.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei