Russian, New Zealand foreign ministers to negotiate in Moscow next week
MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) - New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully will visit Russia on November 4-5 to negotiate with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The foreign ministers will have a detailed discussion of the current condition and prospects of bilateral relations and pressing global issues," the ministry website reported.
Relations between Russia and New Zealand have intensified in the recent years, it said.
"The political dialogue has become continual at the top and on higher levels. The chiefs of state and the foreign ministers regularly meet on the sidelines of international forums. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid the first working visit to New Zealand in January 2012," the ministry continued.
The ministry described New Zealand as an authoritative member of the international community, which made a weighty contribution to the promotion of integration processes in the Asia Pacific region.
"Favorable prerequisites are being created for broadening mutually beneficial relations in trade, investment and humanitarian affairs. Trade, agriculture, the food industry, the oil and gas sector, education and vocational training, tourism and sport are listed amongst promising cooperation areas. New Zealand has been the first country to start negotiations on a free trade zone with member countries of the Customs Union [Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan]," it said.
