New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will meet Southeast Asian leaders in Melbourne from March 5-6.
The New Zealand Prime Minister's two-day visit comes at the invitation of his host counterpart Anthony Albanese.
This will be Mr. Christopher Luxon's second official visit to Australia since becoming the 42nd Prime Minister of New Zealand in November 2023.
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| New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Sydney on December 20, 2023. (Source: AP) |
Last December, Mr Luxon discussed security and economic cooperation with his counterpart Albanese in Sydney, the first stop on his overseas trip. The new Prime Minister affirmed: "New Zealand is committed to working with Australia to support a stable and secure Indo- Pacific region."
In Melbourne, Prime Minister Lexon will meet a number of leaders on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. The New Zealand leader has affirmed that Southeast Asia plays an "extremely important" role for the Kiwi country.
“ASEAN is our third largest merchandise export market,” he said. The increased focus on ASEAN “reflects the region’s impact on New Zealand’s economic and strategic interests.”
New Zealand's exports to ASEAN countries have increased by 28% since the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching a total value of NZ$9.65 billion in 2022.
Prime Minister Luxon said he wanted to strengthen New Zealand's relationships in the region, including with ASEAN leaders themselves, to "ensure the world knows that New Zealand is truly open for business".
During his time in Melbourne, Mr Luxon is also expected to meet business leaders from both sides and will return to New Zealand on Friday evening.
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