Najib meets New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern

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Najib (left) paying a courtesy call on Ardern on the sideline of APEC summit in Danang, Vietnam. — Bernama photo

DANANG, VIETNAM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday met New Zealand’s newly-elected premier Jacinda Ardern on the sidelines of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM).

Both Najib and Ardern, who is New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, discussed matters pertaining to digital economy to regional security for almost 30 minutes in their first bilateral meeting.

This year, Malaysia and New Zealand will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

As for trade, Malaysia’s major exports to New Zealand last year included crude petroleum, and electrical and electronic products.

Although trade between both countries dipped in 2016, it has improved this year.

In 2016, total trade with New Zealand contracted by 16.1 per cent to RM5.90 billion (US$1.42 billion) from RM7.03 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2015.

However, for the January-August 2017 period, trade between both countries increased by 49.3 per cent to RM 5.25 billion (US$1.204 billion) from RM3.518 billion (US$860.6 million) in corresponding period last year. — Bernama