12 April 2016

New Zealand Speaker’s Delegation to strengthen ties with Latin America

Strengthening New Zealand’s bilateral ties with Latin America will be the focus of a delegation led by the Speaker, Rt Hon David Carter MP, taking place in April 2016. The delegation includes Hon Maurice Williamson MP (National), Dr David Clark MP (Labour), Denise Roche MP (Green), and Mahesh Bindra MP (NZ First). They will be engaging in a wide-ranging programme in Mexico, Chile, and Argentina with a specific emphasis on building links with parliamentarians in each country, fostering international cooperation, and promoting New Zealand’s national interests.

The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon David Carter, said that the delegation was taking place at an important juncture in New Zealand’s relations with Mexico, Chile and Argentina.

“The Speaker-led Delegation is an annual event in the New Zealand Parliament’s official inter-parliamentary programme. Building on established relationships and creating new ones benefits our democracy and economy. The relationship between New Zealand and Latin America is a dynamic one that has expanded rapidly in recent years in terms of migration, trade, investment, geopolitical, and diplomatic ties. Our relationship with the region is growing and deepening and we cooperate on a number of multilateral issues to promote international peace and security.”

Mexico is one of New Zealand’s most established partnerships in the region and the biggest two-way trade partner in Latin America. Chile is New Zealand’s oldest relationship in Latin America, with particular connections in the areas of agriculture, education and tourism. Argentina is one New Zealand’s youngest diplomatic relationships, and the delegation’s visit here will focus on cementing these ties. The wide-ranging institutional reforms implemented by the current Mexican and Chilean political leadership and ambitious reform programme implemented by Argentina’s President following last November’s election, provide a back-drop against which to share New Zealand’s experience of minority and coalition government and the evolution of parliamentary procedures.

The Speaker explained that the delegation’s programme will also develop our people-to-people connections with each country, including through business and trade, tourism, education, cultural exchanges, and sporting links.

“To promote our education and agriculture outreach, we will be visiting the New Zealand sheep repopulation site in Mexico and visiting the Universidad Catolica Valparaiso in Chile. We will be having interaction with New Zealand businesses in the region, through an engagement with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Chile and participation in a Trade and Economic Roundtable in Argentina. The delegation will also take part in ceremonial events, including an event with the State of Mexico, and the ANZAC Day Dawn Ceremony in Chile.”

The Speaker-led Delegation to Mexico, Chile and Argentina takes place from 19 to 29 April 2016.

ENDS

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