McCully to attend APEC

Foreign Minister Murray McCully leaves for Japan tomorrow to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers' meeting.

Mr McCully will join Prime Minister John Key and Trade Minister Tim Groser at a range of APEC meetings in Japan this week. He will also undertake a series of bilateral meetings in Tokyo to strengthen bilateral ties and promote the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

"This year's APEC Ministerial Meeting will be a significant milestone for APEC, as Foreign and Trade Ministers review APEC's progress towards the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment," Mr McCully said.

APEC is a forum for work in the region on trade and economic issues and, increasingly, for issues such as food security and for helping the region to respond better to crises such as pandemics and disasters.

"Our work in APEC supports trade negotiations such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and enables New Zealand to share its experiences in many other fields with our partners in the region."

APEC Ministers and Leaders will also discuss the future direction of APEC, including how it can contribute to sustaining economic growth in the region.

New Zealand is one of the founding members of APEC, and during the forum Mr McCully will meet with counterparts from APEC's 20 other member economies.