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New Zealand focusing on key issues at RCEP talks: trade minister

Xinhua, August 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Trade Minister Todd McClay said Tuesday that New Zealand will be looking to address key issues at talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Laos this week.

McClay said he would be participating in a series of ministerial meetings in the Lao capital of Vientiane, including the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the 16-nation RCEP trade agreement talks.

"Following New Zealand's hosting of the 13th RCEP round in Auckland in June, the Ministerial Meeting will review the overall state of negotiation and look to address key issues, including in services, investment and goods," McClay said in a statement.

"I will continue to press my counterparts to ensure the negotiations deliver a modern, comprehensive and high quality agreement, consistent with the original vision of leaders."

The RCEP countries had a combined population of more than 3 billion and accounted for about 27 percent of global trade.

They included six of New Zealand's top 10 trading partners who took nearly 30 billion NZ dollars (21.52 billion U.S. dollars) of New Zealand exports in 2015.

"If RCEP is successfully concluded, it will offer New Zealand businesses a single set of rules that deliver access to key markets across Asia, as well as improved trade and investment rules," said McClay.

McClay would also take the opportunity to meet bilaterally with counterparts from other countries to discuss both the RCEP negotiations and other trade-related issues. Endit