Key wants FTA kept at the forefront
Newstalk ZB, New Zealand
Key wants FTA kept at the forefront
6 October 2008
US President-elect Barack Obama has acknowledged his government faces huge economic challenges and more tough times ahead.
Obama will be sworn in as the 44th US president in January and will face a crush of immediate challenges, from tackling an economic crisis to ending the war in Iraq. The president-elect has said there will be false starts and setbacks and believes the government will not always be able to solve every problem.
International reaction to his win has been swift and positive.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Mr Obama ran an inspirational campaign, energising politics with his progressive values and his vision for the future.
In Kenya, Obama’s victory has special resonance. President Mwai Kibaki, says his country is immensely proud of Obama’s Kenyan roots. He says his victory is an inspiration to millions of people all over the world.
The European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso hopes that with Mr Obama’s leadership, the United States of America will join forces with Europe to drive a new deal for a new world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is one of a host of other world leaders offering Obama their heartfelt congratulations on the historic victory.
Locally, National leader John Key is promising to keep a Free Trade Agreement with the US at the forefront, even although America’s next president might not be free trade friendly. Mr Obama has previous made comments signaling he is not as open to FTAs as his opponent Republican John McCain.
Mr Key says it is important for New Zealand that an FTA with the US is advanced and if National comes to power, he will be working hard to make sure New Zealand’s voice is heard in Washington.
Initial talks on a deal are already underway and it is not known how the Democrat victory will affect negotiations.
