24/10/2016 (Agence Europe) – During the WTO ministerial meeting in Oslo on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 October, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and New Zealand's Minister for Trade Todd McClay recommitted to working proactively towards the launch of an EU-New Zealand free trade agreement. "The commissioner confirmed to me that EU progress towards an FTA with New Zealand remains on track and that she did not expect Brexit to be an obstacle to the launch of negotiations", McClay stated. Bilateral trade between the EU and New Zealand is worth $20 billion a year, of which $5.5 billion comes from trade with the United Kingdom, a New Zealand government press release explained at the end of 2015. The EU and New Zealand began a process for free trade negotiations at the end of 2015, for which preparations began last February (see EUROPE 11491). (EH)