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Foreign Minister Murray McCully travels to New York this weekend to support New Zealand’s Presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

“As the current President of the Security Council, New Zealand chairs all Council meetings and has a central role convening the Council’s work on major international security issues,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed news that agreement has been reached on a nuclear deal between Iran, the Five Permanent (P5) members of the United Nations Security Council, and Germany.

“Over the last eighteen months negotiators have been working to secure an agreement that will increase international confidence in the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully met with President Waqa of Nauru in Sydney yesterday and today to express New Zealand’s concerns over reported violations of civil and political rights.

“My meetings with President Waqa provided an opportunity to raise New Zealand’s concerns about the suspension of opposition Members of Parliament, and the alleged removal of civil and political rights. I also raised directly the cancellation of Roland Kun’s passport, given his close connection to New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced diplomat Vangelis Vitalis as New Zealand’s next Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.

“The WTO is of fundamentally import to New Zealand and WTO rules underpin the network of free trade agreements that New Zealand has successfully negotiated over the last two decades,” Mr McCully says. 

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to Sydney later this week to attend a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers.

“This meeting is an important opportunity for Ministers to discuss international issues that affect the region,” Mr McCully says.

“This includes considering regional approaches to disaster response, which is particularly relevant following the damage caused by Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu.”

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced a $26 million package, aimed at helping the tourism sector in Vanuatu recover following Cyclone Pam.

“Tourism accounts for 20 per cent of the Vanuatu economy and employs 26 per cent of the labour force. Getting the tourism sector back up a running is vital to Vanuatu’s long-term recovery from Cyclone Pam,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the start of the US/NZ Partnership Forum which is taking place in Auckland this week.

“The Forum has a long history of bringing together a range of participants from multiple sectors to discuss the relationship between New Zealand and the United States,” Mr McCully says.

“The US is one of New Zealand’s most important partners and events like this reinforce the strong links between our two nations.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the leaders and dignitaries who will visit Auckland next week for the  World Humanitarian Summit Pacific.

“The Summit, which is co-hosted by New Zealand, Australia and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, will focus on addressing the most pressing humanitarian challenges facing the Pacific,” Mr McCully says. 

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today hailed the action taken by Spain against those responsible for illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing as giant step forward in the fight to protect the Southern Ocean.

New Zealand has agreed to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is being established to invest in new infrastructure across Asia, Finance Minister Bill English and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully say.

The Bank is a China-led initiative aimed at addressing a significant gap in infrastructure investment in the Asian region.

“Increased infrastructure investment will enhance the Asian region’s growth and that will be good for New Zealand,” Mr English says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully departs on an official visit to the Middle East and Cyprus this weekend.

Minister McCully will be meeting with leaders and senior Ministers in Egypt, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and Cyprus, as well as Arab League officials in Cairo. 

“New Zealand will begin our presidency of the United Nations Security Council in July, and matters relating to the Middle East and the on-going situation in Cyprus will be on the agenda,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed a visit to New Zealand by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Slovak Republic , Miroslav Lajčák.

“Mr Lajčák’s visit is the first by a Slovakian Foreign Minister since 1999 and it is an opportunity to reaffirm the friendship between our two countries,” Mr McCully says.

“Our meeting today will cover a range of regional security issues, including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, and New Zealand’s first five months on the UN Security Council.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced New Zealand will be opening an Embassy in Baghdad, which will be headed by career diplomat James Munro.

“As signalled when the decision to deploy to Iraq was announced, the Government has now finalised arrangements to open a permanent mission in Baghdad,” Mr McCully says.

“Our resident Ambassador will be charged with supporting New Zealand’s non-combat training mission to Iraq and assessing how we can better support and build relations with the Iraqi government.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomed a visit to New Zealand by Mr Hu Chunhua, Politburo Member of CPC Central Committee and Party Secretary of Guangdong Province.

“The China relationship is a rapidly growing and wide-ranging one, covering trade and economic matters but also political and cultural ties,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister McCully has welcomed tomorrow’s visit to New Zealand by Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister, Hernani Coelho.

“New Zealand and Timor-Leste share a strong relationship based our on-going support for peace and security in Timor-Leste following their move to independence in 2002,” Mr McCully says.

“We cooperate closely on the global stage, including on UN issues. New Zealand strongly appreciated Timor-Leste’s support for our successful campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomes Singaporean Foreign Minister Mr K Shanmugam to New Zealand.

“This year we mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Singapore, and the 50th anniversary of Singapore as a state,” Mr McCully says.

“2015 is also the 40th Anniversary of New Zealand’s relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Singapore is a founding member.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has welcomed the news that two well-known illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels, Songhua and Yongding, have been found and boarded by local authorities in Cabo Verde.

“These are two of the three fishing vessels that were intercepted by the Royal New Zealand Navy in the Southern Ocean in January,” Mr McCully says.

“We are encouraged by the action taken by the Government of Cabo Verde and New Zealand has offered its full assistance in taking action against these vessels.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully travels to New York today for Security Council related meetings and then to Saint Lucia to attend the annual Caribbean Foreign Minister’s Meeting (COFCOR).

“In July this year New Zealand will take over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the first time this term,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has today announced diplomat Sarah Walsh as New Zealand’s new High Commissioner to Tonga.

“New Zealand has a strong relationship with Tonga, based on a population of more than 60,000 Tongans resident in New Zealand, development cooperation, and our shared interest in regional issues,” Mr McCully says.

“Our High Commissioner in Tonga is responsible for overseeing our $28 million aid programme, which has a focus on renewable energy, education and training, private sector development, and policing.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna have officially opened solar arrays on the Northern Cook islands of Penrhyn and Manihiki this week, and marked the completion of the Cook Islands Solar Project.

“The new solar arrays will provide over 95 per cent of the electricity needs for the villages they connect to, and deliver power to more than 230 homes and public buildings,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully says New Zealand is sending engineering personnel to Nepal to help assess the damage caused by the Anzac Day earthquake.

“The Nepalese Government has requested assistance from New Zealand experts with damage assessments of critical public infrastructure, including government buildings and hospitals,” Mr McCully says.

“Four New Zealand engineers, with considerable experience in earthquake strengthening, have volunteered their time and they are en route to Nepal.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully and a Parliamentary delegation will travel to the Cook Islands next week to meet with Prime Minister Puna and mark the final stages of the $20.5 million Cook Islands Solar Project.

“This year we will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Cook Islands’ self-government and the special relationship between New Zealand and the Cooks,” Mr McCully says.

“We will meet with Prime Minister Henry Puna to discuss arrangements for the anniversary, regional issues, and our development assistance to the Cook Islands.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Dr Riyad al-Malki to New Zealand.

“New Zealand is committed to using our role on the United Nations Security Council to inject new momentum into negotiations on the Middle East Peace Process,” Mr McCully says.

“We have been clear in our view that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is not sustainable, and our friendships with Israel and Palestine demand we play a part in helping to find a solution.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully will travel to China this weekend for official engagements in Beijing and Guangzhou.

“In Beijing I will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for discussions covering regional cooperation, trade and economic matters, and the issues which are currently before the United Nations Security Council,” Mr McCully says.