New Zealand kicked off its APEC host year on Tuesday, with a welcome ceremony held in Wellington's waterfront. "APEC is a hugely important international event, and New Zealand is hosting amidst the challenge of global disruption and pandemic," Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta as saying in a statement. "The 'powhiri' (Maori for ceremony) is a unique opportunity to honor and welcome the international delegates who together represent a region of nearly 3 billion people across Asia-Pacific," Mahuta said. APEC 2021 will be one of the largest ongoing virtual events in the world, with more than 300 meetings conducted across New Zealand. The 'powhiri' is one of the few physical events of New Zealand's APEC virtual host year. The first virtual APEC 2021 meeting, the Informal Senior Officials Meeting, will be held on December 9. "In a world where we cannot travel due to Covid-19, maintaining contact, collaboration, and cooperation with our regional partners continues to be a key priority for New Zealand," Mahuta said. (IANS)