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New Zealand has a friendly relationship with Colombia. The NewZealand Embassy in Chile is accredited to Colombia and visits Colombia several times a year to call on officials and, increasingly, to promote education opportunities in New Zealand.
Prime Minister John Key met President Uribe in November 2008, in Lima, Peru during the APEC summit. In December 2009, the Minister for Disarmament, Georgina Te Heuheu, travelled to Cartagena, Colombia to attend the Cartagena Summit for a Mine Free World where she met with Vice President Francisco Santos.
New Zealand and Colombia are cooperating to address greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector through participation in the Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network (LEARN) and as members of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Bilateral trade is low (in the year to June 2009 exports were NZ$8.8 million and imports were NZ$13.9 million) but reflecting Colombia’s open economy there is potential for New Zealand investment in agri-tech, dairy processing and biofuel.
Bilateral trade is dominated by exports of electronic machinery and imports of coffee.
Education is a growing component of the bilateral relationship. Colombia is one of six priority countries in the Ministry of Education’s Latin American Regional Strategy, approved by Cabinet in 2008.
The number of Colombian students enrolled in NewZealand educational institutions grew 58% in 2008 to a total of 327.NewZealand schools, universities and private training establishments (principally English language schools) are showing a growing interest in the Colombian market and Colombian education agentsare increasingly aware of New Zealand.The NewZealand Embassy in Chile has run visa workshops for education agents.
The Colombian government has introduced arange of measures toimprove the level ofEnglish language teaching andhigher education levels generally (e.g. tertiary studies include a component of English language study, scholarship funds for overseas study).This may mean increased opportunities for Colombian students to study in New Zealand.
Productive working relationships have been developed by the New Zealand Embassy in Chile with the scholarship agencies Colfuturo and Icetex, with visits from both agencies planned for this year. Both areinterested in closer engagement with New Zealand universities andin student mobility in both directions.
The Embassy has also established contacts with individual universities that are interested in engaging with New Zealand counterparts. New Zealand institutions also visit the market in increasing numbers for annual education fairs.
There are currently three exchange programmes approved by the Ministry of Education, Immigration NZ and Colombia:
A small number of Colombians have settled in New Zealand permanently under New Zealand’s United Nations refugee quota since 2007.
There are an increasing number of short term visitor arrivals from Colombia to New Zealand (1,151 Colombians visited New Zealand in the 2007/2008 year, and figures for the 2008/2009 year to date suggest that numbers will be higher).
All visa applications are now processed by the New Zealand Embassy in Chile (prior to July 2008 they were processed by the British Embassy in Bogota on behalf of NewZealand).
Foreign, agriculture and trade ministers from the two countries have met periodically at meetings of the United Nations, Cairns Group, WorldTradeOrganisation, the Forum for Latin America and East Asia Cooperation and APEC. Colombia participates in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation.
New Zealand and Colombia have also worked closely in the Human Rights Council. In June2009, theCouncil adopted a landmark resolution recognizing maternal death and illness as a pressing human rights concern. Over 70 UN member states co-sponsored this resolution (including the US) which was led by Colombia and New Zealand.
Colombia hosted the Cartagena Summit for a mine free world in December 2009 which was attended by Minister for Disarmament, Georgina Te Heuheu.
New Zealand and Colombia are cooperating to address greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector through participation in the Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network (LEARN) and as members of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
The New Zealand Agency for International Development provides a small fund for discrete development projects in Colombia. This HeadofMissionFund, as it is called, provides NZ$25,000 per year and is administered by the New Zealand Embassy in Chile.
The Embassy is currently considering options for Head of Mission Fund Assistance to the town of Bajo Grande. top of page
Land Area – 1,140,000 sq km
Population – 42.1 million (2005 national census)
Capital City – Santa Fe de Bogotá (population 6 million)
Religion – Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%
Official Language – Spanish
Currency – Colombian peso (COP)
Exchange Rate – 1 NZD = 1,938. 90COP (1 March 2010)
Political system – Unitary republic
National government – The president heads the executive branch and is elected for a four-year term, with the possibility of being re-elected for a second term.
National legislature – Legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house), both elected by popular vote for four years.
Last election – May 2006
Next election due – May 2010
Head of State and Government – Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Key Opposition MPs – Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz (PDA)
Main political parties – Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Efrain Jose Cepeda CEPEDA Sarabia]; Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Carlos Gaviria Diaz]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar Gaviria Trujillo]; Radical Change or CR [German Vargas Lleras]; Social National Unity Party or U Party [Carlos Garcia Orjuela].
Cabinet consists of a coalition of the three largest parties that supported President Uribe's re-election - the PSUN, PC, and CR - and independents.
NZ$ (CIF)top of page
Administration
President |
Alvaro Uribe Vélez |
Vice-President |
Francisco Santos Calderon |
Minister for the Interior & Justice |
Fabio Valencia Cossio |
Minister of Foreign Affairs |
Jaime Bermúdez Merizalde |
Minister of Finance |
Oscar Iván Zuluaga |
Minister of Defence |
Gabriel Silva Luján |
Minister of Agriculture |
Andres Fernández Acosta |
Minister of Social Protection |
Diego Palacio Betancourt |
Minister of Mines and Energy |
Hernan Martinez Torres |
Minister of Trade, Industry & Tourism |
Luis Guilllermo Plata |
Minister of Education |
Cecilia María Vélez White |
Minister of Environment, Housing and Social Development |
Carlos Rufino Costa Posada |
Minister of Communications |
Maria del Rosario Guerra de la Espriella |
Minister of Transport |
Andrés Uriel Gallego Henao |
Minister of Culture |
Paula Marcela Moreno |
2008a |
2009b |
2010c |
|
GDP |
|||
Nominal GDP (US$ bn) |
243.4 |
235.2 |
268.9 |
Nominal GDP (Ps bn) |
478,360 |
507,471 |
576,955 |
Real GDP growth (%) |
2.4 |
0.1 |
2.5 |
Expenditure on GDP (% real change) |
|||
Private consumption |
2.5 |
0.0 |
2.8 |
Government consumption |
1.3 |
2.2 |
1.6 |
Gross fixed investment |
7.5 |
-7.4 |
5.0 |
Exports of goods & services |
7.2 |
-4.1 |
5.4 |
Imports of goods & services |
9.8 |
-7.9 |
7.5 |
Origin of GDP (% real change) |
|||
Agriculture |
2.6 |
0.5 |
2.5 |
Industry |
0.3 |
-1.5 |
2.3 |
Services |
1.8 |
0.9 |
2.6 |
Population and income |
|||
Population (m) |
45.7 |
46.3 |
46.9 |
GDP per head (US$ at PPP) |
8,692 |
8,675 |
8,859 |
Recorded unemployment (av; %) |
11.3b |
12.0 |
12.2 |
Fiscal indicators (% of GDP) |
|||
Public-sector revenue |
0.5 |
-2.7 |
-3.8 |
Public-sector debt interest payments |
3.0 |
2.9 |
4.0 |
Public sector primary balance |
3.4 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Net public debt |
42.7 |
43.6 |
45.5 |
Prices and financial indicators |
|||
Exchange rate Ps:US$ (end-period) |
2,244 |
2,044 |
2,055 |
Consumer prices (av; % change) |
3,119 |
2,930 |
2,846 |
Producer prices (av; % change) |
7.2 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
Stock of money M1 (% change) |
-25.1 |
15.7 |
22.4 |
Stock of money M2 (% change) |
-30.8 |
10.6 |
21.0 |
Money market interest (av; %) |
17.2 |
13.0 |
10.7 |
Current account (US$ m) |
|||
Trade balance |
975 |
2,355 |
2,762 |
Goods: exports fob |
38,532 |
33,271 |
38,482 |
Goods: imports fob |
-37,556 |
-30,916 |
-35,720 |
Services balance |
-3,050 |
-2,430 |
-2,674 |
Income balance |
-10,285 |
-8,731 |
-10,159 |
Current transfers balance |
5,511 |
4,437 |
5,314 |
Current-account balance |
-6,848 |
-4,370 |
-4,757 |
External debt (US$ m) |
|||
Debt stock |
45,646b |
48,608 |
49,560 |
Debt service paid |
9,261b |
9,670 |
9,961 |
Principal repayments |
6,410b |
6,789 |
7,074 |
Interest |
-6,848 |
-4,370 |
-4,757 |
International reserves (US$ m) |
|||
Total international reserves |
23,670 |
24,991 |
26,150 |
Source: IMF, International Financial Statistics. |
|||
(c) Economist Intelligence Unit 2009 Actual. b Economist Intelligence Unit Estimates. c Economist Intelligence Unit Forecasts |
|||
Top five New Zealand exports to Colombia (Year to June 2009)
NZ$ (FOB)
Electrical machines and apparatus |
709,105 |
Transmission apparatus for radio-telephony |
625,812 |
Transmission apparatus |
571,994 |
Sugars, incl chem. Pure lactose |
516,193 |
Medicaments |
470,392 |
Top five imports from Colombia to New Zealand (Year to June 2009)
NZ$ (CIF)top of page
Coffee |
8,263,516 |
Insecticides |
490,276 |
Medicaments |
1,481,567 |
Veg moulded resin |
642,410 |
Jams and fruit jelly |
404,683 |
The New Zealand Embassy in Chile is also responsible for Colombia.
There is a New Zealand Honorary Consul in Bogotá, Colombia called Annette Pearson.
The Colombian Embassy in Tokyo is also responsible for New Zealand.
The New Zealand government's safetravel website has comprehensive travel information including advice on the safety and security of travel to Colombia.
Further enquiries may be directed to:
Consular Division
Tel: +64 4 439 8000
Fax: +64 4 439 8532
cons@mfat.govt.nz
