New Zealand to boost economic ties with Southeast Asia

New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English. (Photo by Bill English)

New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English will visit Vietnam and Singapore next week to reinforce the country's trade and economic links with Southeast Asia.

"Southeast Asia is an important trade and investment partner for New Zealand and it's essential that we retain close relationships with this region," English said in a statement Friday.

The 10 countries of Southeast Asia took 4.3 billion NZ dollars (3.49 billion U.S. dollars) of New Zealand exports in the year to June, he said.

"New Zealand is fortunate to have a region on its doorstep which continues to show healthy growthincluding Vietnam and Singapore - at a time when many other parts of the world are still struggling with little growth and high debt," he said.

"I'm looking forward to exchanging ideas about the global and regional economies in both countries."

In Vietnam, English is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung, as well as business leaders with an interest in expanding trade and investment links with New Zealand.

In Singapore, he would meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.