New Zealand to inject millions into Asean relationship

Leaders shake hands at the Asean-NZ summit. Photo / Getty

New Zealand is boosting its development funding to the Asean region, Prime Minister John Key said today at a special NZ-Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Spending over three years will be increased by $61 million to $200 million.

Part of the funding will be tagged to initiatives for personal development and some will be tagged for technical and economic assistance.

Mr Key made the announcement at a special summit between New Zealand and the 10 leaders of the Asean countries to mark a 40-year relationship.

John Key in his specially made songket shirt. Photo / Audrey Young

"The funding will focus on building the capacity of the region's people and creating links between our young leader and emerging entrepreneurs - the people who will build on the ties we have forged in the past 40 years."

New Zealand and Australia have a free trade agreement with Asean, which has a combined population of 625 million.

After their own summit, the Asean countries convene with eight others to conduct the East Asia Summit which discusses security issues, and strains about territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The Asean countries are in the midst of forming the Asean Economic Community, the aim of which is to create a single integrated market similar to the European Community.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Photo / Audrey Young

Mr Key held meetings yesterday with Indonesian president Joko Widodo, China's Premier, Li Keqiang, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In the evening the leaders attended a cultural show and dinner, each wearing specially made shirts from hand-woven fabric known as songket. Mr Key's was black and silver.

Among the measures being funded with the Asean allocation are:

• A new Prime Minister's Fellowship programme for ASEAN; three Fellows per year, over five years.
• Increased scholarships: from 178 to 225 per year
• Increased English language training for officials (ELTO): 67% increase in ELTO awards from 2015 to 160 per yea
• 100 new in-country English Language training awards per year
• 120 new short term training awards in agriculture, public sector leadership, disaster risk management, and renewable energy
• Exchange and study tour programmes to build links between young entrepreneurs and diplomats
• A new ASEAN-New Zealand trade capacity building initiative
• Ongoing support provided under the AANZFTA economic cooperation programme
• An agriculture technical vocational education and training initiative
• A safe agrichemicals use initiative
• A foot and mouth disease control initiative
• An initiative to build better warehouses to house supplies for disaster relief and strengthen logistics management
• Support to Asean's safe schools initiative

- Audrey Young in Kuala Lumpur