DANANG, Vietnam: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today met with New Zealand's newly-elected Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the sidelines of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM).
Najib and Ardern, who is New Zealand's 40th prime minister, discussed matters from the 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 relationship.
Malaysia's major exports to New Zealand include crude petroleum as well as electrical and electronic products.
Although trade between both countries dipped in 2016, it has improved this year.
Last year, total trade with New Zealand contracted 16.1 per cent to RM5.90 billion (US$1.42 billion) from RM7.03 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2015.
However, from January to August this year, trade increased 49.3 per cent to RM5.25 billion (US$1.204 billion) from RM3.518 billion (US$860.6 million) in the corresponding period last year.
Keywords: APEC, Danang, Vietnam, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, New Zealand