As trading nations with an international outlook, Belgium and New Zealand are like-minded on many global issues. We are also connected by a shared history through New Zealand's role in Belgium in World War I. This involvement has created a legacy of close and warm relationships which continue to this day: Mesen (Messines) is the twin town of Featherston in the Wairarapa, and a twinning relationship was established between Waimakariri and Zonnebeke during the 90th commemorative year of the Battle of Passchendaele.
New Zealand's participation in World War I is still commemorated with warmth in Belgium and this lies at the heart of the relationship between our two countries. Between 1917 and 1918, around 5,000 New Zealand servicemen were killed in battles at Belgium’s ‘Flanders Fields’, a huge loss to a country of little over a million people at the time. More than 4,600 of these servicemen are buried in around 80 cemeteries in Belgium. We have always worked closely with Belgium on common heritage issues, including most recently the laying to rest of unknown New Zealand soldiers on Belgian soil in 2012 and 2013. Four Belgians were made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2015 for their services to commemorating New Zealand’s role in Belgium during World War I.
Two of New Zealand’s major World War I centenary commemorations to be held overseas include two events in Belgium in 2017, marking the battles of Messines (7 June) and the Battle of Passchendaele (12 October).
We have two Shared Memory Arrangements with Belgium, which promote cooperation in preserving and strengthening our shared history of the two World Wars.
|
Total trade in goods |
NZ$829 million |
|
|
Exports to Belgium |
$351 million |
Top exports: sheep meat, dairy products, wool and organic chemicals |
|
Imports from Belgium |
$487 million |
Top imports: motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products, machinery, plastics, and organic chemicals |
| GDP per capita | US$46,556 |
New Zealand traditionally enjoys a favourable balance of trade with Belgium. A large proportion of New Zealand's exports to the European Union enter through Belgian ports.
Belgium is an important market for sheepmeat, butter and cheese. It is also an important market for New Zealand coarse wool, most of which goes to supply Belgium's large export-oriented carpet manufacturing industry.
New Zealanders aged between 18 and 30 can apply for a 12-month working holiday visa for Belgium.
For more information, read the Embassy of Belgium in Australia's website (external link).
Die Botschaften von Australien, Kanada, Neuseeland und des Vereinigten Königreichs nehmen gemeinsam am Berliner Christopher Street Day 2019 teil.
From 1 October 2019, some international visitors and transit passengers must have an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before travelling to NZ
A new memorial honouring the role of New Zealand Māori and other service people in the First World War will be unveiled in the Passchendaele Memorial Park, next to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Zonnebeke on Anzac Day, 25 April 2019.
The EU and New Zealand reaffirmed their commitment to deepen their partnership in the coming years, and explored opportunities for further collaboration in various fields.
