Trade Minister welcomes UAE counterpart

  • Tim Groser
Trade

Trade Minister Tim Groser will host H.E Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for economic and trade talks in Wellington today.

“The UAE is one of our most important partners in the Gulf region,” says Mr Groser. “I welcome this opportunity to discuss how we can grow our cooperation in areas including investment, tourism, education, innovation, renewable energy, and aviation.

“The UAE represents the primary entry point into the Middle East region for New Zealand, both in terms of people and goods.

“It has a strong economy and is currently New Zealand’s second largest market in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, and our most diversified market in the region. New Zealand’s exports to the UAE have grown significantly over the past decade, reaching NZ$611 million in 2012,” Mr Groser says.

Following their discussions, the Ministers will also co-chair the 4th meeting of the New Zealand-UAE Joint Economic Commission.

Notes:
An agreed minute of the talks will be signed between Ministers at 4:30pm in the Ministerial Meeting Room on L2 of the Executive Wing at Parliament. Media are invited to attend for a photo opportunity.