13 Nov 2014

PM arrives at East Asia Summit

7:56 am on 13 November 2014

Prime Minister John Key has arrived in Myanmar for the East Asia Summit.

John Key in Myanmar

(L-R) New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, the President of Myanmar Thein Sein, his wife Khin Khin Win and Mr Key's wife Bronagh at the East Asia Summit Gala Dinner. Photo: RNZ / Patrick Omeara

The 18-nation summit includes many countries already in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation group, but also India, Laos and Cambodia.

Mr Key said the summit would discuss trade, including the other regional trade deal New Zealand is involved in - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or R-CEP, as-well-as security matters.

The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesia's new Prime Minister Joko Widodo where he planned to discuss Malaysians and Indonesians going to fight in conflicts in Syria and Iraq, as-well-as with Singapore.

Mr Key also hoped to talk with India's new leader Narendra Modi about reviving trade talks.

Mr Key would fly back to New Zealand later today.

He would meet German chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on Friday, before attending the G20 meeting in Brisbane over the weekend.

Following that meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping would be in New Zealand for three days in the first visit by a Chinese head of state since President Hu Jintao's visit in 2003.

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