New Zealand, ASEAN discuss trade, regional uncertainties

New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held a summit on Tuesday in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, during which trade and regional uncertainties were discussed.

New Zealand has been a key dialogue partner of the Southeast Asian bloc for the past 50 years, during which bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges have increased.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon were in attendance at the summit.

Anwar said that the conversations between New Zealand and ASEAN "open up new avenues to not only navigate but also explore new opportunities."

New Zealand's prosperity, security, and future growth are "closely intertwined with that of ASEAN member states," Luxon said.

This summit marks the first in-person leader-level meeting over the last 10 years, he added.

Luxon also said that a new regional air services agreement will be signed Tuesday in addition to the two regional free trade deals already existing, stressing that the two-way trade volume between the sides reaches $30 billion every year.

"Under our comprehensive strategic partnership, we will meet formally as leaders more often every two years," which will "enable the exchange of ideas that can drive change and development for us all," Luxon said.

ASEAN and New Zealand still believe in "the importance of words rather than weapons, a rules-based order where size does not determine rights, a world where trade stays open, and an Indo-Pacific region in which ASEAN helps anchor a stable and a prosperous regional architecture based in international law," in a region "where old certainties are no longer guaranteed," he added.

They "together have agency to shape our regional and global order, and so we will continue to work closely together to do so," Luxon noted.

Meanwhile, Anwar said on US social media company Facebook that Kuala Lumpur and Wellington also held a bilateral meeting, during which they discussed strengthening trade, investment, and renewable energy, among other topics, as well as finalizing the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year.