Chair of the Delegation, Ulrike Müller (DE, RENEW) led nine MEPs from seven political groups to New Zealand. At the opening of the IPM, the Chair paid tribute to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, for her determination and strong leadership of the country. To note, all NZ interlocutors reaffirmed their full commitment to support Ukraine. Although NZ has complicated relations with China, their main trade partner, China is heavily investing in Pacific youth education. With 2.000 annual scholarships for full university cycles, Beijing is playing a prominent role in training tomorrows leaders of the Pacific States. A big effort on deepening the process of acquiring more Pacific identity as a State is underway, noting also that New Zealand is systematically referred to as Aotearoa New Zealand. The conclusion of the FTA represents a success for both sides, with the chapters dedicated to the Māori, the sustainable development, and to climate change. The latter of increased high importance following the recent cyclone Gabrielle, NZ is looking for more international cooperation to assist in preventing further natural disasters. The Pacific region in its entirety is already a victim of climate change. The Members met with Ministers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Climate Change, Agriculture, Economic and Trade and the Minister for Pacific Peoples. The delegation also had field visits in Christchurch to the Antarctica Centre, the post-Canterbury earthquake Anchor projects and the Lincoln University Diary Farm, where the delegation were shown new technologies to reduce emissions, in farming and dairy production. NZ is now also eligible to take take part in Horizon projects and sustainable environmental projects - certainly an area of priority. The official dinner hosted by the DANZ Chair was also the occasion for the official launch of the European Enterprise Network to NZ. The Network is one of the world's largest service providers for innovative enterprises. Active in over 60 countries, the Network has to date delivered significant impact for over 2.6 million global SMEs. The European Union and New Zealand have a special responsibility in reaffirming friendship, solid partnership, and a common agenda for global peace and stability. The 28th EU-NZ IPM will be announced in due course.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP