KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) — New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is expected to arrive in Malaysia on Thursday (June 6), as part of his four Southeast Asia visit destinations.
According to the official website of the New Zealand Government, Beehive.govt.nz, Peters entered Parliament in 1978 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hunua with the National Party. He served as the MP for Tauranga from 1984 until 2005.
The prominent New Zealand politician parted ways with the National Party in 1993 to establish the New Zealand First party, where he has held the leadership position ever since.
In addition to his political roles, Peters serves as the Minister for Racing. He also has a background in sports, having been a former New Zealand Māori rugby representative.
While here, Peters will be meeting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and holding the inaugural Foreign Ministers Meeting under the New Zealand-Malaysia Strategic Partnership.
Facts About New Zealand:
- New Zealand, a small island nation with a population of around 4.5 million, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is renowned for its national rugby team (All Blacks), its indigenous Maori culture, and its picturesque landscapes.
- The backbone of New Zealand’s economy is the export of agricultural commodities, including dairy products, meat, forest products, fruits and vegetables, and wine.
- Malaysia and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on Sept 25, 1957, and since then, their bilateral relations have remained strong and stable.
- Malaysia consistently welcomes an increasing number of tourists from New Zealand each year, with 18,238 New Zealanders visiting Malaysia in 2022. Additionally, over 17,000 Malaysians reside in New Zealand.
- In the Pacific region, Malaysia is New Zealand’s second-largest trading partner, with the total trade volume between the two countries reaching RM6.32 billion (US$1.42 billion) as of June 2023.
- The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), of which Malaysia and New Zealand are members along with Australia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, is one of the longest-running defence arrangements in the world.
— BERNAMA