Leaders Discuss Progress Report on Trans-Pacific Trade

At the White House meeting between Prime Minister John Key and President Barack Obama this week, the two leaders discussed a timeline to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade deal agreement by November when the pair will meet again.

New Zealand is one of 11 others in the pact covering two-fifths of the world economy and a third of global trade.

Obama said the aim was to have a document to discuss with other leaders of Trans-Pacific Partnership nations when he travels to Asia in November, a trip that will include the Group of 20 leaders meeting in Australia on 15-16 November.

During the one-hour Oval Office meeting, Key and Obama also discussed plans for “robust action” on climate change, Radio Australia reported.

“New Zealand, I think, has been an excellent partner with us and other economies recognising that this is a threat none of us can solve individually, that we’re going to have to work on together,” Obama said.

The United Nations Climate Change conference will be held in Paris in December next year in a bid to get all countries to adopt an agreement to be implemented from 2020.

Obama also complimented New Zealand for its role in peacekeeping operations and for cooperating with Washington on intelligence matters.

“I think it’s fair to say that the US-New Zealand relationship has never been stronger,” he said.

Original article by The Boston Journal, June 21, 2014.

Photo by AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais.