Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee today named diplomat Pam Dunn as New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). "The ASEAN region is a key political and security partner for New Zealand," Mr Brownlee says. "Ms Dunn will be based in Jakarta alongside our Ambassador to Indonesia, and will work to deepen the trading and political relationship. "She will also be able to offer New Zealand’s support and expertise in areas such as agricultural development, education, disaster relief, collective security and combating transnational crime. "Our exports to the 10 ASEAN countries totalled more than NZ$6 billion in…

oreign Minister Gerry Brownlee today announced the appointment of career diplomat Jonathan Curr as High Commissioner to Fiji. “The Fiji – New Zealand relationship has warmed since 2014, with the reciprocal visits of former Prime Minister John Key and Prime Minister Bainimarama in 2016 a significant milestone,” Mr Brownlee says. “New Zealand’s bilateral engagement with Fiji continues to grow in terms of two way trade, tourism, defence and development. “New Zealanders travel to Fiji in ever increasing numbers to enjoy the sun and sea, and Fiji is our largest trade relationship in the Pacific. “We also have close defence links…

New Zealand’s new Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran is Hamish MacMaster, Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today. “New Zealand has a long-standing trade and economic relationship with Iran, established with the opening of our Embassy in Tehran in 1975,” Mr Brownlee says. “Since the easing of United Nations sanctions in 2016 there has been increased interest in the Iranian market by New Zealand exporters. “Exports last year were $151 million and the first export of New Zealand lamb in decades was sent to Iran in May. “There is real scope for the further diversification of our trade relationship…

Croatia’s President, Her Excellency Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, will make her first official visit to New Zealand next week, Prime Minister Bill English has announced. “New Zealand has a warm and constructive relationship with Croatia. The large Croatian community that has made New Zealand home has made an important contribution to our business, cultural and political life over many years,” Mr English says. President Grabar-Kitarović and her delegation arrive on Saturday 19 August for a series of events, including an official welcome at Government House in Auckland and a State luncheon hosted by the Governor-General. “I am looking forward to discussing a…

Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced diplomat Jonathan Schwass as High Commissioner to Vanuatu. “New Zealand and Vanuatu have close and long-standing ties,” Mr Brownlee says. “In the last year, more than 4,000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from Vanuatu were in New Zealand – representing about 40 per cent of the total workers in the scheme. “The RSE scheme has been an enormous success over the last decade and, at an estimated $20 million a year for those 4,000 workers, the earnings have a significant effect on livelihoods in Vanuatu. “Mr Schwass will lead the delivery of New Zealand’s…

NDO/VNA – President Tran Dai Quang on January 11 received the ambassadors of New Zealand, Timor Leste, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Slovenia, who presented their credentials. At a reception for New Zealand Ambassador Wendy Irene Matthews, President Quang expressed his delight at the growing Vietnam-New Zealand ties since the two countries set up their comprehensive partnership in 2009 and issued a joint statement on comprehensive partnership towards strategic partnership in 2015. He proposed that the two sides should define contents and roadmaps for their strategic partnership, while coordinating in the building of the Vietnam-New Zealand action programme for the new…

UN Mission became Impossible The United Nation’s Security Council seat was viewed as the best showcase for New Zealand’s noble intentions. But within a few days of its tour of duty ending New Zealand found itself the fall-guy in two bitter feuds—the eternal Israel-Arab one and now the grudge one between the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the United States. How did the tiny agrarian South Pacific nation with its international do-good mission find itself caught in these two bitter sets of cross-fires? New Zealand’s presence on the United Nations Security Council was the culmination of a decades-long diplomatic strategy…

|  MSCNewsWire - Wednesday 28 December 2016  |  The absence in New Zealand of an effective political Jewish lobby was largely responsible for the South Seas nation being summoned to co-sponsor at the United Nations the resolution calling for the halt to building within Israel’s occupied territories. Two sponsoring nations were islamic – Malaysia and Senegal. The third, Venezuela, was a founding member of OPEC. The political lobby vacuum meant that New Zealand could be the western, and better still, English speaking nation to sponsor the resolution –and do so without there being any danger of formal internal political repercussions.…

L’Affaire Tapie now engulfing Francis Fillon campaign IMF managing director Christine Lagarde’s exit from the Paris court room with only the charge of “negligence” attached to her has served only to intensify the anger in France over the porosity between their country’s judiciary and it politicians, writes our European correspondent. The gathering storm is of interest to New Zealand because of a widespread impression that former prime minister John Key is in line to succeed her as chief of the International Monetary Fund, an economic stabilising agency that had its origins in Bretton Woods. The possibility initially arose when Mr…

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of Sue Mackwell as High Commissioner in Papua New Guinea. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea enjoy a strong relationship, and we work closely together in the areas of sustainable economic development, agriculture, and renewable energy,” Mr McCully says. “Papua New Guinea is New Zealand’s second-largest trading partner in the Pacific. It has an abundance of natural resources, and we share an interest in helping make sure these assets deliver broad-based benefits to the people of Papua New Guinea. As a close partner of Papua New Guinea, and an APEC member, New…

  Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced that Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae will be New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of Sir Jerry Mateparae as our High Commissioner in London underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the UK,” Mr McCully says. “Sir Jerry has been Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force and Chief of Army, and until recently he was New Zealand’s Governor-General. “He will be replacing Sir Lockwood Smith as High Commissioner and I would like to acknowledge Sir Lockwood’s service and the work he has done to…