Today Foreign Minister Urmas Paet opened the first Estonian Honorary Consulate in New Zealand in Wellington. The Estonian honorary consul in New Zealand is Tõnu Loorpärg.
Foreign Minister Paet stated that relations between Estonia and New Zealand are good, but they could be more active. “Unfortunately we have lacked a representation in New Zealand up until now, although there is an Estonian community of a few hundred in this country,” Paet said. “As democratic societies, Estonia and New Zealand share the same values, which act as a basis for intensifying everyday relations. The honorary consul plays an important role in this,” Paet noted.
“Since 2007 a youth work and travel visa agreement has been in effect between Estonia and New Zealand. This is one opportunity for developing contacts between the two nations, with Estonian youth coming to New Zealand temporarily and vice versa,” Paet said at the opening of the honorary consulate.
In Auckland, Paet also met with members of the New Zealand European Chamber of Commerce and introduced to them Estonia’s economic environment and opportunities for investments. The New Zealand entrepreneurs expressed interest in co-operation regarding oil shale technology.
Last year Estonia’s trade turnover with New Zealand totalled 28 million kroons in value, and the most common export articles were sports and fishing equipment. “There are also opportunities for increasing co-operation in the realm of tourism, since visiting Europe is becoming more and more popular among New Zealanders,” said Paet.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet gave a lecture about European security, including Estonian security, at the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs in Auckland.
Tomorrow Paet will meet with the Foreign Minister of New Zealand, and in the afternoon he will fly to Australia to begin his official visit there.
Contacts of Estonian Honorary Consulate in New Zealand can be found here: http://www.vm.ee/eng/kat_568/9211.html.
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