General Secretariat - Riyadh
His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), confirmed that negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the GCC countries and New Zealand are progressing in the right direction, with both sides agreeing on most chapters of the agreement.
This came during His Excellency's meeting with His Excellency Mr Todd McClay, New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry, Hunting and Fishing, as well as Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at the GCC General Secretariat in Riyadh.
During the meeting, both parties praised the efforts of the teams involved in the ongoing negotiations, emphasising that the FTA will create broader investment opportunities and strengthen economic relations, serving their mutual interests.
In closing, he noted that several topics of mutual interest were discussed, including an overview of the GCC-New Zealand relations and ways to develop and enhance them across various fields, as well as updates on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and joint action plan signed between the two sides.
