Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee today named diplomat Chris Langley as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Brazil.

“Brazil is a global player on issues of importance to New Zealand, and we work closely together on a range of international issues including global trade, international security and climate change,” Mr Brownlee says.

“New Zealand has a strong and growing economic relationship with Brazil, which is the seventh largest economy in the world. We have significant investments in Brazil’s dairy sector and are deepening links through education and tourism.

“We recently restarted a trade dialogue with Mercosur – the Southern Common Market, which includes Brazil – aimed at developing trade ties with those countries.

“Brazilians and New Zealanders also share a passion for sport, as demonstrated during last year’s Rio Olympics,” Mr Brownlee says.

Mr Langley has had previous postings in Chile and Indonesia, and took a two-year sabbatical from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to work in the private sector in Sydney.

He recently served as trade private secretary to the Minister of Trade and is currently working in the Trade Negotiations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

|  A Beehive release  ||  June 8 2017   |||