News

14 December 2009 11:57

Russian MFA Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko Interview to RIA Novosti on the Upcoming Visit of New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully to Moscow

1911-14-12-2009

Question: New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, will be in Russia on a working visit this week. What assessment could you give of the current state of Russian-New Zealand relations in this connection?

Answer: New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, will visit Russia on December 16-17 at the invitation of Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.

I would like to recall that Russian-New Zealand diplomatic relations have more than half a century of history. They were established on April 13, 1944, at a time when our countries fought together in the anti-Hitler coalition.

The amassed potential of diplomatic contacts facilitates reinvigorating the constructive political dialogue at high level, which creates favorable conditions for steady development of bilateral cooperation in many areas. The foreign ministers of the two countries regularly meet on the sidelines of various international events. In particular, Lavrov and McCully met in July this year during the regular session of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Thailand. The previous visit by a New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs to Russia took place in April 2006. A mechanism of consultations has been established by the two foreign ministries, the latest round of which was held in March 2009 in Wellington. The regular exchange of views facilitates the coordination of action between Russia and New Zealand in the international arena.

Russian-New Zealand inter-parliamentary ties are evolving very successfully: Margaret Wilson, Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, paid an official visit to Russia in January 2007 in conjunction with the 15th session of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in Moscow. The Chairman of the Federation Council, Sergey Mironov, paid a return visit to New Zealand in January 2008. Parliamentary friendship groups operate in the parliaments of both countries.

New Zealand became the first country with a developed economy, with which Russia successfully concluded negotiations on accession to the World Trade Organization: the relevant protocols were signed in 2003 and 2004.

Since 2004 Wellington has been involved in financing the program of chemical disarmament in Russia under the Global Partnership of the Group of Eight.

Question: What is the agenda for the upcoming talks between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and New Zealand? What issues will be the focus?

Answer: During the upcoming talks, priority attention is expected to be given to topical bilateral issues and measures to strengthen cooperation on the international stage, including the UN. It is borne in mind to discuss the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, including the South Pacific, with emphasis on security and prospects for cooperation in such regional entities as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the ARF. Views on Russia-New Zealand Antarctic cooperation are likely to be exchanged.

It is planned to consider nonproliferation and disarmament themes, in particular, in the context of Iran's nuclear program, the Korean Peninsula nuclear problem and the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The talks in Moscow will also include discussing the possibility of making more efficient use of the potential of bilateral relations in counteracting the new challenges and threats, including increasing practical cooperation in combating international terrorism.

We are confident that the upcoming visit of the New Zealand Foreign Minister to Moscow will become an important contribution to the progressive development of Russian-New Zealand cooperation in different fields.

Bilateral relations

RUSSIA-NEW ZEALAND RELATIONS

Russia and New Zealand established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1944.

Legal framework: On March 18, 1993 the governments of the Russian Federation and New Zealand signed an agreement on air traffic. The intergovernmental agreement on avoiding double taxation and preventing income tax evasion became valid on July 4, 2003. On November 16, 2005 the two governments signed a joint statement on cooperating in the Antarctic.

Political relations: Russia and New Zealand maintain cooperation on global and regional issues, primarily in the UN, APEC, East Asian Community, ARF and ASEM.

Until recently, the two countries maintained regular top-level dialogue. The President of Russia and the Prime Minister of New Zealand met on the sidelines of the APEC summits in Yokohama (2010), Vladivostok (2012), and Bali Island (2013). Official talks on a free trade area agreement between the EAEU countries and New Zealand were launched in Yokohama. At the same time, due to Wellington’s support for its traditional Western partners in the context of the events in southeastern Ukraine, the then Minister of Trade Tim Groser suggested on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2015 that the implementation of New Zealand’s proposal on completing talks for a free trade area agreement be suspended.

At the same time intensive political dialogue came back to life in 2016. President of Russia Vladimir Putin had brief contact with the then Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima on November 20. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev met with the then Prime Minister John Key on the sidelines of the 11^th East Asia summit in Vientiane. Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin met with New Zealand’s Minister of Trade Todd McClay at a meeting of APEC ministers of trade in Hanoi on May 20-21.

The Governor-General of New Zealand visited Russia in 2005 for the first time in the history of bilateral relations during celebrations of the 60^th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The countries maintain inter-parliamentary contacts. A delegation of New Zealand’s parliament, headed by Assistant Speaker Lindsay Tisch, took part in the 21^st APPF session in Vladivostok on January 27-31, 2013.

New Zealand’s parliament established a friendship group with Russia, which is headed by David Bennett. The seventh convocation of the State Duma set up a deputy group for contacts with New Zealand’s parliament, led by coordinator Ivan Belekov (United Russia).

Russia and New Zealand maintain contacts at the foreign ministry level. During his visit to New Zealand in January 2012, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first time in the history of bilateral relations signed a plan for consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries for 2012-2014. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray Mccully paid a reciprocal visit to Russia in November 2013. The foreign ministers briefly met on the sidelines of the regular UN General Assembly session in New York in February 2015, during ministerial meetings of the ASEAN Regional Forum on security in Kuala Lumpur in August 2015, in July 2016 in Vientiane and in Manila in August 2017. On August 16-17, 2016, Mr Mccully paid a working visit to Moscow to discuss with Mr Lavrov bilateral ties and cooperation in the arena of world affairs. Deputy foreign ministers and department heads of the two foreign ministries hold regular consultations.

In 2010-2013, the then Minister of Trade Tim Groser visited Moscow more than once to attend the talks on a free trade agreement between New Zealand and the EAEU member-states.

The two countries have an institution of honorary consuls. John Macnaughtan is Russia’s Honorary Consul in Auckland, and Martin Tate is New Zealand’s Honorary Consul in Vladivostok.

Trade and economic ties: New Zealand is the first industrialised country with which Russia completed talks on Russia’s WTO entry (the relevant protocols were signed in 2003 and 2004).

In 2016, Russia primarily exported to New Zealand mineral products (90.3 percent), chemicals (2.3 percent), textiles (1.6 percent), wood and pulp and paper products (1.6 percent), as well as foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials (1.3 percent). Russia’s imports included food products and agricultural raw materials (89.7 percent, machines, equipment and transport vehicles (5.1 percent) as well as chemicals (3.5 percent).

The Russia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce has been functioning in Auckland since 2008. Its members include such large New Zealand companies as Fonterra, Landcorp (agricultural production) and Nola's Wines.

New Zealand’s Lanocorp Pacific Ltd (Lanocreme trade mark) and Living Nature (organic cosmetics) are operating in the Russian market. Heinz Wattie's supplies Russia with canned vegetables (green peas and corn).

Vista Entertainment is in discussions to supply software to the Russian network of Karo Cinemas. Atrax (transshipment company) is cooperating with Vladivostok Airport.

The Russia-New Zealand-South Korea joint venture -- Hyundai-Khorol-Agro—has been processing soya beans and corn in Vladivostok since 2004. New Zealand’s Algoa is processing vegetables in the Moscow and Kaluga regions as well as in the Krasnodar territory. Vaima has sold $5 million worth of vegetable processing equipment to the Rostov Region.

In March 2012, a Russia-New Zealand joint venture for the production of resins for varnish and paints was set up in the Belgorod Region. Belgorod’s group KVIL and the European affiliate of Nuplex Industries, the world’s largest producer of resins, founded the group.

In November 2012, Aeroproject signed a contract worth 88 million New Zealand dollars with Pacific Aerospace (Hamilton) to produce and supply to Russia 37 R750 light aeroplanes within five years.

The meat and dairy industry is one of the most vigorous areas of cooperation. New Zealand’s Fonterra and Russia’s Foodline intend to establish a joint venture on packaging butter and cheese (under the Anchor brand) in the Leningrad Region. Its factory will produce 67,000 tonnes of packing a year. Waikato Milking Systems is introducing its own milking technology at TerraNova Group enterprises in the Leningrad Region. Tate Holdings Limited is involved in two projects in the Primorye Territory – the construction of a dairy factory and a dairy farm.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the Federal Centre for the Protection of Animal Health and Auckland Bioscience are cooperating in studying opportunities to purchase a vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease.

New Zealand’s ARANZ opened its office in Moscow in April 2017. It is developing software for geological prospecting and 3D-modelling.

In recent time New Zealand has substantially expanded its exports of wines to Russia (Russia wine imports from New Zealand exceed $5 million).

Culture, science, education and sports. Russia and New Zealand maintain commercial cultural ties. Thus, in 2016, New Zealand hosted performers from Konstantin Tachkin’s St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, the Imperial Russian Ballet and the third Russian Revival film festival. By tradition, filmmakers from New Zealand take part in the international film festival of Asian and Pacific countries in Primorye.

The programme of the Martin Tate Wallace Artist Residency in Russia is being implemented in Vladivostok. Sponsored by Wallace Art Trust, it allows artists to live and work in this Russian city for free.

Direct ties between universities are the prevailing form of cooperation in education. The contract providing for student exchanges between the Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Higher School of Translation and Interpretation and the University of Canterbury has been valid since 2011. The State Institute of Economics and Service in Vladivostok is cooperating with the Pacific International Hotel Management School Ltd in New Plymouth. The Far Eastern Federal University maintains ties with the University of Canterbury. The Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of Auckland, as well as the Siberian Federal University and the University of Lincoln have signed contracts on research and education.

Over 1,000 Russian students receive an education in New Zealand. About 15 New Zealanders graduated from Russian universities.

The Russian language is taught in New Zealand at the University of Canterbury and the University of Auckland. Lectures on Russian history, culture, arts and literature are read in English in these universities as well. By executive order of April 5, 2016, the Russian Government has included the University of Auckland and the University of Otago on its list of institutions the academic degrees and titles of which are recognised by the Russian Federation.

New Zealand’s three universities -- the University of Auckland, the Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago – take part in exchanges with Russian universities under the Russian Global Education State Programme.

The Dubna Joint Institute for Nuclear Research implements scientific and technical cooperation with organisations in New Zealand in theoretical physics, particle physics and nuclear physics.

In September 2011, the national Olympic committees of Russia and New Zealand signed a memorandum of cooperation. The Krasnoyarsk rugby clubs Krasny Yar and Yenisey STM are developing cooperation with the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. A rugby coach from the union works in the Krasny Yar Club. Several rugby players from New Zealand are members of the club’s team.

In July 2012, New Zealand issued a permit for the deployment of the GLONASS surveillance equipment on its territory.

In 2017, New Zealand’s football team took part in the Confederations Cup.

Up to 15,000 Russian compatriots permanently reside in New Zealand.

Twelve Russian organisations are officially registered. The largest of these are the Russian Cultural Centre in Christchurch and the Russian Club in Wellington. The newspaper Nasha Gavan (Our Harbour) and the literary journal Rodnik (Spring) are published in Russian in Auckland.

New Zealanders began adopting Russian children (mostly aged between two and five years) back in 1992. In all, they have adopted over 700 children. During this period not a single case of maltreatment of adopted children has been recorded.

New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand: A state in the southern Pacific.

Area: 270,000 square kilometres. The country is located on two large islands (North and South) and several small ones.

Climate: New Zealand’s climate is subtropical in the north and moderate in the south. Average temperature in January is +17° C and in July +8° C.

Administrative divisions: 17 regions -- nine on the North Island, seven on the South Island and one on Chatham Islands. They are administered by 12 regional councils and 74 territorial authorities, including 16 city councils, 57 district councils and one council on the Chatham Islands. Regional councils are in charge of environmental protection, water supply and public transport. Territorial authorities are responsible for urban planning, local life-support systems and transport communications.

Population: 4.75 million. About 64 percent are of European descent; Maori (natives) account for about 15 percent; over 12 percent are Asians; and, seven percent represent small insular states of the South Pacific. The annual natural increase averages 1.3 percent.

Capital: Wellington (405,000). Major cities: Auckland (1.5 million) and Christchurch (390,000).

Official languages: English and Maori (since 1987).

Main religions: Christianity (about 49 percent), as well as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism (about nine percent). Some 42 percent of the population do not associate themselves with any religion.

Currency: New Zealand dollar (≈$.75).

National holiday: Waitangi Day, February 6.

Political system: Constitutional parliamentary monarchy, part of the British Commonwealth. The head of state is the British Queen, represented by the governor-general she appoints (Dame Patsy Reddy since September 28, 2016).

Legislative power belongs to a unicameral Parliament (House of Representatives). MPs are elected for a term of three years at general elections. As a rule, the leader of the party that wins the elections becomes prime minister. The latest parliamentary elections took place on September 20, 2014 and were won by the National Party. The Parliament consists of 121 deputies. The current Speaker of the House of Representatives is David Carter.

The Government carries out executive power. The Prime Minister is Bill English (as of December 2016), the Foreign Minister is Gerry Brownlee (as of May 2017), and the Minister of Trade is Todd McClay.

The judiciary consists of the supreme, appellate, high and district courts. There is a developed network of commercial courts.

Main political parties: the National Party was founded in 1936 and the Labour Party was established in 1916.

Domestic policy: New Zealand’s political system is based on competition between the Labour Party and the National Party, which from time to time replace one another as the parliamentary majority and gain the right to form a Government. The National Party, headed by its leader John Key, again won the latest general elections in 2014. The National Party has been in power since 2008.

Foreign policy: New Zealand’s foreign policy is active, pragmatic and multi-vector. Its priorities include disarmament, primarily nuclear disarmament (since 1984 it has been free of nuclear weapons), liberalisation of international trade, environmental protection, maintenance of stability and sustainable development in the South Pacific, participation in international peacemaking missions and exploration of the Antarctic.

In 2015-2016, New Zealand was elected to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member (in July 2015 and September 2016 it chaired the UN Security Council).

Economy: New Zealand is an advanced industrial and agrarian country. In 2016, its GDP amounted to $178.7 billion (including services – 70 percent, industry – 22 percent, agriculture, forestry, fishing and mineral production– 8 percent); GDP per capita was $37.1 thousand; GDP growth reached 2.8 percent. Inflation was 0.4 percent; the refinancing rate was 1.75 percent; unemployment level stood at 5.2 percent; foreign direct investment was $78.7 billion.

New Zealand is one of the world’s biggest exporters of high quality meat and dairy products and wool. In 2016 foreign trade stood at $66.7 billion, including exports of $31.9 billion and imports of $34.8 billion.

New Zealand’s Government seeks to take advantage of growth potential of larger economies, primarily in the Asia-Pacific Region, by signing with them free trade and close economic partnership agreements.

Armed forces: New Zealand’s armed forces are formed on a voluntary basis. Their total numerical strength is about 14,000 (Army – 7,000; Air Force – 3,000; Navy – 3,000, and General Headquarters – 1,000). Defence spending amounts to about one percent of GDP.

Education: Secondary education is mandatory for children up to the age of 16. New Zealand has eight universities and over 20 institutes.

Research: The Royal Society of New Zealand is a national Academy of Sciences and comprises some 60 independent research and technological centres. In 1992, under the auspices of the government, New Zealand established the Crown Research Institutes, which consists of nine research centres, each operating in vital area of interest to the country: medicine, biology, biochemistry, agriculture and forestry, engineering and social sciences and the Antarctic.

Culture: New Zealand’s present-day culture was formed under the strong influence of West European cultural traditions (primarily English, Irish and Scottish) and of the Polynesian people (of Maori, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga descent). Over the past quarter century increased immigration from Asian nations has contributed to the development of the tight-knit and multifarious culture of New Zealand. The Government has made it a priority to revive the Maori culture and its language.

Major museums: The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington and the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

New Zealand has a vast network of libraries headed by its National Library. Media: The media market is formed by the Government-owned Television New Zealand (two national TV channels TV1 and TV2, children’s educational channel TVNZ36 and local documentary channel TVNZ37), Maori TV, Australia’s Media Works, the Sky Television satellite commercial network, the Fireworks New Zealand Limited publishers, and the Australian-New Zealand media group APN News and Media.

The radiobroadcasting market is primarily represented by the Government-owned Radio New Zealand, and a major private company – Australia’s Radio Network.

The New Zealand Press Association is comprised of 140 dailies. The leading national newspapers are the New Zealand Herald and Dominion Post.

By tradition, physical fitness and sports play an important role in New Zealand. Rugby is their national sport. There are more than 500 rugby clubs in the country. Its rugby team, the All Blacks, is the current world champion. Other popular sports include football, golf, cricket, rafting, tennis, netball, track and field, swimming, rowing and sailing.