Canada, New Zealand to strengthen ties

The Foreign Minister of New Zealand Murray McCully is visiting Ottawa Monday to talk about strengthening ties and trans-Pacific economic integration with Canadian officials.

McCully met with his Canadian counterpart Lawrence Cannon and the Canadian Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day, discussing bilateral, regional, and global issues, according to a press release of the Canadian government.

"The Asia-Pacific region is a priority for Canada. We have strong ties across the Pacific, and the economic opportunities there are vast," said Minister Day in the release.

The two sides discussed how free and open markets could be strengthened through the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, a promising platform for regional integration in Asia-Pacific, Day said.

McCully also met with Canada's Defense Minister Peter MacKay, International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda and other officials.

Source: Xinhua