NZ to sign ‘strategic partnership’ with Malaysia
New Zealand will sign a ‘‘strategic partnership’’ agreement with Malaysia, promising greater co-operation on counterterrorism and indigenous collaboration.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, met Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah and agreed that officials would draw up a partnership document.
‘‘We’ve had a long-standing partnership with Malaysia . . . The strategic partnership will enable us to forge further opportunities beyond defence and education.
‘‘The opportunity to strengthen our security arrangements with Malaysia continue to be key ... They’re our thirdlargest trading partner within the Asean group, so there remains more opportunity in that space.’’
The agreement would mean New Zealand and Malaysia ministers would meet regularly, and the countries would work closer on regional issues, counterterrorism and transnational crime, and conduct reviews of the four free trade agreements that cover the relationship.
Mahuta said collaborations between indigenous communities would also be part of the partnership, ‘‘because we know that we have a lot to offer’’.
‘‘We have a lot in common with Malaysia, we can work together on a lot of fronts . . . On the defence front, we can look to strengthen what we’re doing.
‘‘I think we’re all struggling with meeting the challenge of cybersecurity, that is a new domain, and with Malaysia we could do more in that space.’’
New Zealand already has an education agreement with Malaysia, and the two countries are part of the Five-Power Defence Arrangement.
New Zealand has a strategic partnership with Vietnam, an ‘‘enhanced partnership’’ with Singapore, and a ‘‘comprehensive strategic partnership’’ with Indonesia.