Minister Robertson to visit South Korea and Singapore

  • Hon Grant Robertson
Finance Sport and Recreation

Minister of Finance, and Sport and Recreation, Grant Robertson, today departs for the Republic of Korea and then Singapore to meet with political and business leaders and to attend the Winter Olympic Games.

In the Republic of Korea, Minister Robertson will meet with Korean Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance, Ko Hyoung-Kwon, and Kim Hyun-Chul, Economic Adviser to President Moon Jae-In. Other engagements include meetings with Korean business leaders and with New Zealand business members of the Kiwi Chamber.

“This will be the first visit by a Minister in the new Government to Korea. I’ll be using the occasion to promote New Zealand’s trade, investment, education and tourism interests in the country. It’s also a chance to set out New Zealand’s economic policies and explore areas of commonality, particularly around regional economic architecture, inclusive economic growth, social investment and other areas of mutual interest,” Grant Robertson says.

“As Sport and Recreation Minister I’ll also be attending the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang. New Zealand has some great medal opportunities, and it would be amazing to see the team bring a couple home.”

Minister Robertson will also be meeting with some of his international counterparts and officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

In Singapore, Minister Robertson will hold discussions with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, as well as a number of other key Ministers, officials and business leaders.

“Singapore has long been an important strategic and trading partner for New Zealand. Our economic ties will soon be even stronger with the upcoming signing of the CPTPP,” Grant Robertson says.

“The country is also leading the way on thinking about the future of work and building economic resilience in the face of constant change. These are significant issues for New Zealand as well, and I look forward to talking about them with Singaporean Ministers and officials.”