Hon Murray McCully

Minister of Foreign Affairs
28 October 2014 Media Statement
New Ambassador to France appointed

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has appointed diplomat James Kember as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France.

“New Zealand’s relationship with France is one of our most long-standing and vibrant, and it remains an important partner within the European Union,” Mr McCully says.

“The next four years will see us jointly commemorating both the 100th anniversary of the First World War, and the death of thousands of New Zealand soldiers on French soil.

“France also remains one of our major trading partners in Europe, with total trade flows sitting at $1.5 billion in 2013.

“As a member of the European Union and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, French views on regional and global issues matter to New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.

Dr Kember is currently New Zealand’s Ambassador to the African Union and Ethiopia. He has also served as Head of Mission in Viet Nam, Hong Kong and the Cook Islands, and carried out assignments to the United Nations in New York and to New Caledonia.

As Ambassador to France, Dr Kember will also be accredited to Portugal and Senegal.

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