WELLINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Minister of Trade and Export Growth David Parker will depart later this week for a series of meetings in Chile, Paris and Brussels focusing on the outlook for world trade and the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement, the New Zealand government said on Monday.
According to the itinerary released on Monday, Parker will attend the annual meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade in Chile.
He will continue on to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris, along with an informal meeting of World Trade Organization (WTO) ministers and a meeting of the Ottawa Group to discuss how the WTO can be reformed and strengthened.
"At a time of ever-increasing tensions - both in trade between major players and in the WTO - these meetings are an opportunity to build trust and confidence and identify solutions," said Parker.
Parker reiterated the importance of multilateral trading system, "by increasing openness and predictability in world trade. The multilateral trading system has provided certainty to businesses and underpinned a remarkable period of growth."
David Parker will also meet his Inclusive Trade Action Group colleagues from Chile and Canada during the APEC meetings.
"With New Zealand gearing up to host APEC in 2021, the meeting is an early opportunity to signal some of the key themes for New Zealand including deepening regional economic integration and promoting sustainable and inclusive trade," said Parker.
