PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia hopes the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand will encourage more companies there to view Malaysia as a suitable investment hub and gateway to the Asean market, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said the signing yesterday was the highlight of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s short visit to Malaysia, marking a significant milestone in the trade links between the two countries.
He said his discussions with Key touched on where the two countries stood in terms of economic relations, especially as trade between them had almost doubled between 2006 and 2008.
“Our bilateral trade in 2008 stood at RM6.15bil and although this year the numbers have fallen, we both believe it is a short-term phenomenon.
“With the current global economic recovery, the total trade should be in an upswing in 2010 and beyond,” he said at a joint press conference with Key after their meeting at the Prime Minister’s office here yesterday.
Najib said the two countries also had strong educational links and this was expected to be a key area to explore, along with tourism, which remained encouraging despite the economic downturn.
Some 56,000 New Zealanders visited Malaysia last year. --- The Star
Click link to view the joint press conference:
http://thestaronline.tv/v/4523