Russia

Bilateral relationship

New Zealand has begun FTA negotiations with the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union. Both sides remain committed to concluding the agreement by 2012. New Zealand will be the first partner for the Customs Union.

New Zealand and Russia signed a Joint Statement on Antarctic Cooperation in November 2005. The statement proposes consultation on Antarctic subjects of common interest, the exchange of Antarctic scientific and technical personnel, and collaboration between the two national Antarctic programmes. This was the first bilateral Antarctic Cooperation Statement that Russia had signed with any country.

New Zealand is fully supportive of Russia’s bid for membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and has been actively engaged in the Working Party discussions in the WTO. New Zealand and Russia concluded a bilateral Goods Market Access deal in November 2003 and a Services Market Access deal in November 2004 in the context of Russia’s accession to the WTO.

The Russian community in New Zealand is estimated to be in the order of 5000 people. Over 4000 Russians visited New Zealand last year for holidays, study, sport, work and business reasons. top of page

 

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 2007 (Parliament); March 2008 (President)
Next election due - December 2011 (Parliament), March 2012 (President)
Head of State - Dmitry Medvedev, President
Head of Government - Vladimir Putin, 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 2010)

NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$275.7 million
Main Exports - Butter, sheepmeat, fish and cheese
NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$424.7 million
Main Imports - Fishing vessels, chemicalstop 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

• 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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