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Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will travel to Fiji tomorrow to chair a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group (MCG). This will be the first visit to Fiji by the MCG since May 2012.

“The MCG is the mechanism set up by Forum leaders at a special meeting in Auckland in 2008 to monitor developments in Fiji,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of diplomat Rebecca Needham as New Zealand’s Consul-General in Guangzhou, China.

Ms Needham will be the first Guangzhou Consul-General to be appointed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The post has until now been managed by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand will send medical staff to the Solomon Islands following an outbreak of dengue fever.

“The outbreak has put considerable strain on the health system – depleting resources and overwhelming staff,” Mr McCully says.

There are almost 1700 suspected cases of dengue fever - 1200 of those in Honiara - and three reported deaths.

“New Zealand will send a doctor and a nurse to support the Solomon Islands Government response to the outbreak,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the approval of the Arms Trade Treaty by the United Nations General Assembly in New York.  

“The Arms Trade Treaty is the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global arms trade,” Mr McCully says.

“As well as setting down common global standards for trade in conventional weapons, the adoption of the Treaty will also help prevent illicit arms trade. 

Co-hosts New Zealand and the European Union today announced that a funding envelope of $635 million has been secured at the Pacific Energy Summit in Auckland to advance renewable energy projects across the Pacific.

Pacific countries presented 79 projects at the Summit, providing donors and the private sector with opportunities to identify projects for partnership and collaboration. Partners and donors have responded by committing $255 million in grant funding and $380 million in concessional loans to support over 40 of the proposed projects.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of Amanda Ellis as Permanent Representative to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva.

“I am delighted Ms Ellis is going to lead New Zealand’s team in Geneva to further enhance our relationship with the UN and other specialised agencies based there.  She will be looking to leverage New Zealand’s reputation and influence in those bodies in support of the Security Council campaign,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has welcomed the strong private sector presence when Pacific leaders, international donors and energy experts meet in Auckland for the two-day Pacific Energy Summit next week. Over 100 local and international companies will participate.

The Summit, announced by Mr McCully yesterday, will take place from 25 to 26 March at the Viaduct Events Centre. Co-hosted with the European Union, it aims to connect Pacific countries with major donors to boost investment in renewable energy projects in the region.

Most of New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours should move close to achieving 50 per cent of their electricity from renewable means as a result of the two-day Pacific Energy Summit being hosted in Auckland jointly by New Zealand and the European Union next week.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of Hayden Montgomery as Ambassador to Argentina.

“New Zealand and Argentina share many interests ranging from global agricultural trade liberalisation to Antarctica and the Southern Oceans,” Mr McCully says.

“As Argentina is one of the world’s main agriculture and livestock producers, there is tremendous scope for our industries to work together to meet the increasing global demand for food, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of Simon Tucker as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Canada.

“As Commonwealth countries, New Zealand and Canada have shared a close relationship for many years,” Mr McCully says.

“And now, as partners in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, we are working together on an ambitious, comprehensive agreement that will further integrate our economies in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today congratulated his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, following his appointment to the 12th National People’s Congress in Beijing.

“New Zealand and China have an expanding bilateral relationship with strong political, economic and cultural connections,” Mr McCully says.

“Both New Zealand and China are interested in cooperating on issues that affect the Asia-Pacific region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully held talks with his Afghan counterpart, Dr Zalmai Rassoul, in Wellington today.

“A new chapter in our countries’ relationship is about to begin, with New Zealand withdrawing its Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from Bamyan province in April, in line with the transition process,” Mr McCully says.

New Zealand has led the PRT in Bamyan since 2003 and has contributed to international counter-terrorism efforts and improved security, development and governance in the province. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced New Zealand is providing $4 million to help Samoa’s tourism sector recover from the devastating impact of Cyclone Evan.

“New Zealand and Samoa agree that a strong tourism sector is essential for employment opportunities, foreign exchange earnings and government revenue,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will travel to Egypt today to attend the League of Arab States Executive Council meeting.

“The Arab League has been at the forefront of some of the most pressing international issues over the past two years, including Libya and Syria,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will meet his counterpart from the Solomon Islands, Foreign Minister Clay Forau, for official talks tomorrow.

“The Solomon Islands is important to New Zealand. We have a major aid and development programme there and have been one of the founding contributors to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI),” Mr McCully says.

Cabinet today agreed on New Zealand’s contribution to Afghanistan beyond the April withdrawal of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from Bamyan province, in line with the joint ISAF/Afghan transition plan.  

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman say New Zealand will continue to make a small but proportionate military commitment to the international mission in Afghanistan from May 2013, and that we remain committed to international efforts to improve the security and prosperity of Afghanistan.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has condemned today’s reported nuclear test by North Korea, the third since it began testing in 2006.

“North Korea continues to blatantly defy United Nations Security Council resolutions – that is of deep concern and represents a significant threat to peace and security in the region,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says New Zealand will assist with the emergency response to yesterday’s earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands.

“New Zealand has made $200,000 available for humanitarian supplies and support to the Solomon Islands Government assessment teams,” Mr McCully says.

“The earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which hit the remote Temotu Province, caused damage to a number of homes, and sadly there are reports that lives have been lost.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has paid tribute to Hillary Clinton, who stepped down today as US Secretary of State.

Mr McCully described Secretary Clinton as “a great friend of New Zealand and a powerful advocate for the NZ/US relationship”.

“After 30 fairly ordinary years in the relationship following the differences over US ship visits, the relationship has become a fundamentally different and stronger one,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today named career diplomat Deborah Geels as New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Vienna and Ambassador to Austria.

“The focus of the Permanent Mission is advancing New Zealand’s nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation interests, particularly in relation to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation,” Mr McCully says.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, next week to attend the African Union Executive Council.

“A quarter of the world’s states are members of the African Union, and Africa is of increasing interest and importance to New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.

“This visit provides an opportunity for New Zealand to engage on a range of important regional issues.”

Overview

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary William Hague will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully announced today.

“I look forward to welcoming Mr Hague to New Zealand for the second time in two years,” Mr McCully says.

Mr McCully and Mr Hague will hold formal bilateral talks in Auckland on January 15.