Speech at the official State luncheon for Uruguay President Dr Tabare Vazquez

Speech notes for the official State luncheon for Uruguay President in Wellington

It is my great pleasure to welcome the President of Uruguay, His Excellency Dr Tabaré Vázquez and his distinguished delegation of ministers, legislators, business people, Mayors, and officials to our Parliament today.

Uruguay and New Zealand established diplomatic relations 32 years ago.

As countries of similar size, both in population and land area, and with strengths in agriculture, forestry, and tourism, we have an easy affinity.

In 2001 I was privileged to be the first New Zealand Prime Minister to visit Uruguay, so it is with particular pleasure I now welcome President Vázquez, the first President of Uruguay to visit New Zealand.

The President’s visit this week with such a large delegation reflects the quickly growing relationship between our countries in recent years.

New Zealanders of an older generation knew about Uruguay because of the famous naval battle on the River Plate in December 1939. In that battle, the NZ cruiser Archilles of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, together with the Royal Navy cruisers Ajax and Exeter, engaged in battle with the German pocket battleship Graf Spee - which was eventually scuttled in the estuary of the river.

Four of the Achilles crew died in that naval engagement 68 years ago, and it is appropriate on this occasion to pay tribute to them and to the veterans of the battle. We invited to our lunch today Stoker First Class Albert Evans, but, alas, at 91 years of age he is unable to attend.

For New Zealand, Uruguay is today an active partner in many more areas than our limited historical relationship may suggest.

We have collaborated for many years on agricultural trade; our agricultural scientists and educators have links; and we even played a part around eight decades ago in developing Uruguay’s sheep flock.

That flock is made up mainly of Corriedales – a breed introduced to Uruguay the 1920s by an enterprising Uruguayan farmer who purchased them while on his honeymoon in New Zealand. These links continue – in March 2007 Uruguayan farmers were in Christchurch for the International Corriedale Congress.

In the 21st century New Zealand company PGG Wrightsons, through New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay, is making a significant investment in Uruguay’s dairy sector. I understand seventy New Zealand investors have visited Uruguay this month as part of their project, and thirty farmers and technicians from Uruguay’s dairy co-operative, Conaprole, have just been to New Zealand.

This is a good example of how we can collaborate – by matching New Zealand investment and dairy technology with Uruguayan resources. It’s estimated that this partnership could result in a ten per cent increase in total Uruguayan dairy production in five years time.

This is a “win win” outcome.

This commercial connection comes on the back of, and in conjunction with, increasing links between our respective agricultural research institutions, especially Lincoln and Massey Universities and AgReseach.

It was supported by the New Zealand Food Value Chain export mission to South America, including Uruguay, led by Hon Phil Goff in September, which reinforced the opportunities for economic partnerships between us in a range of areas across the food value chain.

Now the presence of the business delegation with the President gives us the opportunity to follow up on these contacts.

In our discussions today we have been able to take forward some new initiatives, and discuss ongoing international issues, such as progress in the WTO’s Doha round, and the challenge of climate change.

We have also agreed to hold regular high level Foreign Policy Consultations, and to double the size of our Working Holiday Scheme quotas from 100 to 200 places per annum in each direction.

New Zealand recognises people-to-people links as important in building bilateral relationships. In that respect I note that on the sports field we have seen New Zealand soccer teams benefiting from imported talent from Uruguay. That’s an important contribution, bearing in mind that Uruguay has won the Football World Cup twice - in 1930, and again in 1950, beating Brazil in Brazil in the final !

We have also agreed to dialogue in areas such as state sector reform, and we have a forward agenda for the Foreign Policy Consultations next year.

Once again, Mr President and Senora Delgado, welcome to New Zealand.

Ladies and Gentlemen, can I now ask you to rise and join me in a toast to the President and people of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.