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New Zealand ’s relations with the countries of South and Southeast Asia are of growing importance to us. The region is our closest outside the South Pacific and our links with it go back many years. New Zealand is accredited to almost all countries in the region and we have embassies or high commissions in eight of these. New Zealand’s total exports to Southeast Asia for the year ended 30 December 2006 were NZ$2,953 million.
Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is central to New Zealand’s relations with Asia. It is a major regional political and economic grouping with a population of over 500 million people. New Zealand became a ‘dialogue partner’ of ASEAN in 1974; joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in 1994, and in 2005 acceded to ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Trade linkages continue to develop under the umbrella of the AFTA/CER Closer Economic Partnership and a New Zealand/Australia Free Trade Agreement is currently under negotiation.
As an ASEAN dialogue partner, New Zealand attends at Foreign Minister level the annual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC), hosted by the ASEAN Chair (currently the Philippines). Other dialogue partners are Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the US and the EU. Participation in the PMC provides an opportunity for New Zealand to:
New Zealand holds annual discussions with ASEAN at officials’ level, chaired jointly by New Zealand and our designated ASEAN coordinating country’. New Zealand’s coordinating country is currently Myanmar.
Further information:
In 2005 New Zealand became a member of the newly-formed East Asia Summit (EAS), and participated in the inaugural Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December of that year. Involvement in the EAS is important for New Zealand, as it is the first addition to regional architecture since the establishment of the ‘ASEAN+3’ (the 10 ASEAN member countries plus China, Japan and Korea, but not New Zealand and Australia) in 1997. We see it as having a significant and possibly unique role in managing increasingly complex issues in the region, and in forming the basis of an East Asia community. It is in New Zealand’s interests to be part of such a community.
The second EAS was held in Cebu, the Philippines on 15 January 2007. The Cebu meeting moved the EAS process forward significantly. There is growing recognition of the key role the EAS can play in promoting regional cooperation and integration, as well as providing a forum for a high level strategic dialogue. Leaders held substantial discussions on a range of issues. They signed the 'Cebu Declaration on East Asia Energy Security' and endorsed a number of EAS activities, including in the area of regional financial cooperation. Leaders also agreed that a non-governmental study be conducted on the possibility of an EAS-wide free trade agreement, a proposal strongly supported by New Zealand.
The third EAS will be held in Singapore on 21 November 2007.top of page
The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) signed in 1971 comprise a series of agreements between New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Singapore and Malaysia:
New Zealand provides development assistance to South and Southeast Asia through bilateral and regional programmes. For more details see NZAID website.
