McCully welcomes US Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano

  • Murray McCully
Foreign Affairs

US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will attend the fourth US/NZ Partnership Forum in Christchurch from 20-22 February, Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully has announced.

Secretary Napolitano heads the 200,000-strong United States Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for safeguarding the US' domestic security - from global terrorism threats and natural disasters to immigration and trade security.

"Secretary Napolitano’s visit to New Zealand is a testament to the new level of dialogue and cooperation New Zealand is enjoying with the US as a result of the Wellington Declaration," Mr McCully says.

"We already work closely with the US on challenges like counter-terrorism and disaster response. We plan to do more work together in the Pacific, on border security and to ensure the smooth flow of trade between New Zealand and the US, as mandated by the Wellington Declaration.

"I look forward to discussing these and other areas of cooperation with Secretary Napolitano when she visits this month," says Mr McCully.