WELLINGTON, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and British Prime Minister Theresa May signed agreements on Tuesday in London, which will assist in ensuring trade continues to flow freely between the two countries in a post-Brexit environment.
According to a New Zealand government statement, both sides welcomed the signing of the Veterinary Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement on Conformity Assessment Bodies, which means current trade-facilitating arrangements covering the export of New Zealand products into the European Union are maintained with Britain.
This helps to ensure New Zealand exporters will not be worse off in the immediate aftermath of Brexit and there will be a continuity of the existing rules, Ardern said in the statement.
"The clear message we imparted to Prime Minister May today was, whatever the outcome of the Brexit process, we will have an enduring relationship with the UK across trade and the full range of interactions our two countries share," Ardern said.
Ardern viewed the New Zealand-Britain ties the "longest-standing relationship," and "still one of the closest."
Both sides reaffirmed the commitment of New Zealand and Britain to launching negotiations on a free trade agreement when Britain is in a position to do so, the statement said.
