Trade Minister To Visit Middle East, Attend Anzac Commemeration

Trade Minister Lockwood Smith departs New Zealand for an official visit to the Middle East on Monday, 19 April 1999. Dr Smith will be visiting Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Dubai between 20-29 April for an intensive programme of calls on Government Ministers, and meetings with leading private sector representatives.

Dr Smith says his visit to the Middle East signals the region's importance to New Zealand.

"The Middle East is a priority region for New Zealand due to our strong trade, tourism and investment relationships, and for broader strategic reasons," said Dr Smith.

"New Zealand's trade with the Middle East is consistently between $400-600 million per year. Maintaining and expanding this relationship is vital to New Zealand's well-being, and the prosperity of our primary production sector.

"But our relationship is much more than trade. We also have valuable investment and tourism links with the Middle East. This visit will re-emphasise the region's importance to New Zealand, and provide the opportunity to strengthen our bilateral political relations and to expand our investment and tourism links with key business partners.

Dr Smith will also be representing New Zealand at the official ANZAC Day commemorations being held Gallipoli on 25 April, and will deliver an address to the New Zealand National Service at Chunuk Bair.

"I'm privileged to be representing New Zealand on this very important day in our national history. Along with thousands of New Zealanders, my family has an historical connection with Gallipoli, and I'm looking forward to commemorating this important day with other New Zealanders in Turkey," said Dr Smith.

Dr Smith will lay wreaths at Ari Burnu and Chunuk Bair on the Gallipoli peninsula, and place drawings provided by the pupils of Room One at Phillipstown School in Christchurch during the memorial service.

Dr Smith returns to New Zealand on Saturday, 1 May 1999.