Page 180 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (Part 1)

10/1/24, 2:42 PM Minister of State for Foreign Trade leads UAE Business delegation to New Zealand, Australia to expand trade relations
visit to New Zealand and Australia, where he led a high-level UAE business

delegation to strengthen economic ties.

The visit culminated in the conclusion of negotiations for a Comprehensive

Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and New Zealand,

which will open important new avenues for trade and investment between the two

countries.

While in New Zealand, Dr. Al Zeyoudi held a number of meetings with senior
officials, including Hon. Todd McClay, Minister for Trade, and Hon. Nicola Willis,

Minister of Finance. The discussions focused on the economic ambitions of each
country and how greater collaboration can help achieve them. Dr. Al Zeyoudi and

Minister McClay also participated in a question-and-answer session with the
National Party in New Zealand's parliament in Wellington, highlighting both

nations' commitment to deepening political and economic ties and exploring new
private-sector opportunities in both countries.

This was followed by a business roundtable organised to facilitate direct

engagement between the UAE delegation and leading New Zealand businesses,

particularly in the agri-tech, renewable energy, technology and logistics sectors. The

UAE remains New Zealand's largest trading partner in the Middle East, with non-oil

trade reaching US$768 million in 2023, a 16 percent increase over pre-COVID-19

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