Russia

Bilateral relationship

Bilateral interaction has strengthened and the tempo of the relationship quickened over the past few years: visitor numbers are at their highest levels; business interest in Russia has increased; and rugby has heightened the public profile in both countries.  Russian visitor numbers reached a record 7,000 in 2011.  Politically, too, the relationship is at new levels – a momentum reinforced by  Prime Minister Key’s and President Medvedev’s meeting at APEC 2010 and high-level contact at ASEAN, ASEM and EAS meetings in 2011.  Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov visited New Zealand in September during the RWC (the most senior level visit from Russia in over a decade) and had very positive meetings with PM Key and Foreign Minister McCully. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov visited New Zealand at the end of January this year.  He also met with PM Key and Minister McCully and signed a Foreign Ministry Consultations Plan. 

In November 2010, New Zealand began FTA negotiations with the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union. Both sides remain committed to concluding the agreement by the time of the APEC Summit in Vladivostok in September 2012.  New Zealand will be the first partner for the Customs Union.

Russia is currently New Zealand’s 14th-largest trading partner, and exports were NZ$281 million in the year to December 2011, constituting only 0.6% of New Zealand’s overall exports.  Trade is focussed on exports of our butter and meat, and imports of Russian oil.  However, the FTA will help New Zealand businesses to explore the opportunities of the Russian market more actively.

 

Key facts

Geography/Demographics

Land Area - 17,075,000 square kilometres (63 x New Zealand)
Population - 141.5 million (2011 est.)
Capital City  - Moscow
Language  - Russian

Political

Political system - Multiparty republic with a 2 chamber legislature consisting of the Federation Council (upper house), and State Duma (lower house), and an Executive
Last election - December 2011 (Parliament); March 2008 (President)
Next election due - December 2015 (Parliament), March 2018 (President)
Head of State - Vladimir Putin, President
Head of Government - Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister

Economic (2011 estimates)

GDP - US$ 1.820 trillion
Real GDP growth - 4.1%
Exports - US$501.2 billion
Imports - US$314.7 billion
Main exports - Fuels and energy, metals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Current account balance - US$88.3 billion
Inflation - 8.6%

New Zealand Trade (to year ended December 2011)

NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$281 million
Main Exports - Butter, sheepmeat, frozen beef, frozen fish, cheese
NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$1,204 million
Main Imports -petroleum, fish fillets, spirits & liqueurstop of page

 

Visits

New Zealand Ministerial visits to Russia

• Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade, May 2011
• Hon Tariana Turia, April 2011
• Hon Murray McCully, Minister of Foreign Affairs December 2009
• Hon Margaret Wilson, Speaker of the House, January 2007
• Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, April 2006
• HE Dame Silvia Cartwright, Governor General, May 2005
• Hon Jim Sutton, Minister for Trade Negotiations, May 2004
• Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, Speaker of the House, April 2004
• Hon Jim Sutton, Minister for Trade Negotiations, November 2003

Russian Ministerial visits to New Zealand

• Andrey Denisov, Deputy Foreign Minister, March 2012
• Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, January 2012
• HE Alexander Zhukov, Deputy Prime Minister, September 2011
• Sergei Mironov, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, January 2008
• Aleksei Gordeyez, Minister of Agriculture, June 2004
• Aleksandr Losyukov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, October 2002
• Dr Sergei Shatalov, Deputy Minister of Finance, September 2000
• Dr Sergei Kisselyov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, March-April 2000
• Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister, APEC, September 1999
• Igor Ivanov, Foreign Minister, APEC, September 1999
• Mikhail Fradkov, Trade Minister, APEC, September 1999

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Representation

New Zealand Embassy Moscow, Russian Federation [external link].

Embassy of the Russian Federation, Wellington

Travel advice

The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to the Russian Federation [external link].

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