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The Netherlands Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen visited New Zealand 22-23 January, accompanied by his wife and a delegation of officials. After visiting a Dutch rest home in Auckland (Ons Dorp) Minister Verhagen had a bilateral meeting with Minister McCully. A dinner for the Minister and delegation, hosted by Minister McCully, was also attended by Minister Groser.
The talks during the meeting and dinner were frank and productive. A number of areas were identified in which the Netherlands is keen to cooperate and work with New Zealand, such as in coordinating aid in the Pacific to have greater impetus to economic development and stability. Human rights issues and current events such as the Gaza situation and reintroduction of export subsidies were also canvassed at some length, with insights gleaned by both New Zealand and the Netherlands from each other’s experiences and views.
This visit was very successful in re-establishing Ministerial-level links with the Netherlands, which shares New Zealand views on and approaches to a number of issues, and, as was clear from these meetings, is interested in cooperating with New Zealand on matters of import at the international level.
