WORKING VISIT OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF RURAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO NEW ZEALAND 14 – 18 JULY 2025

WORKING VISIT OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF RURAL AND REGIONAL

DEVELOPMENT TO NEW ZEALAND

14 - 18 JULY 2025

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development Dato' Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will undertake a working visit to New Zealand from 14 to 18 July 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister will be accompanied by senior officials from the Deputy Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Department of Orang Asli Development, and National Disaster Management Agency.

During his visit to New Zealand, the Deputy Prime Minister is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the Governor General of New Zealand Cindy Kiro and hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, David Seymour. The meeting will serve as an important platform to reaffirm Malaysia's continued commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and explore new avenues of cooperation with New Zealand. Both Deputy Prime Ministers are also scheduled to witness the exchange of a Memorandum of Arrangement between the Governments of Malaysia and New Zealand on Cooperation in the Field of Higher Education.

The Deputy Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet with Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka to discuss prospects for collaboration in advancing the indigenous agenda, particularly in the protection of rights, socio-economic empowerment, and cultural preservation. As a gesture of the longstanding and warm relations between the two nations, the Deputy Prime Minister will be hosted at an official luncheon by Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters.

As part of Malaysia's ongoing commitment to advancing the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda, the Deputy Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister for Universities Dr Shane Reti. Discussions will revolve around strengthening bilateral cooperation in higher education and technological development, with a particular emphasis on TVET. In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Minister for Agriculture Todd McClay to explore new and mutually beneficial cooperation in the agricultural sector.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also be engaging with the ASEAN-New Zealand Business Council, participate in a Halal Roundtable Session with key industry players in New Zealand and hold a meeting with the ASEAN-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group.

This visit reflects Malaysia's continued commitment to enhancing bilateral relations with New Zealand, in line with the elevation of relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2023. It also reinforces close cooperation between ASEAN and New Zealand, following the establishment of ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue Relations in 1975.

New Zealand remains an important economic partner for Malaysia. In 2024, total bilateral trade amounted to RM10.72 billion (USD2.34 billion) with exports and imports valued at RM6.27 (USD1.37 billion) billion and RM4.45 billion (USD0.97 billion) respectively.

PUTRAJAYA

14 July 2025