Ontmoeting tussen ministers EU en Nieuw-Zeeland in het teken van transnationale uitdagingen (en)

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, acting for the High Representative, Catherine Ashton i, joined his New Zealand colleague, Murray McCully, to chair the EU-New Zealand Political Dialogue, which focused on current transnational challenges, ranging from climate change to global trade.

Representatives of the European Commission and the Secretariat General of the Council took part in the meeting, which is the last to be held by the EU-27 with third countries during the six-month period of the Spanish Presidency.

The main topics discussed in the conference were climate change, the liberalisation of international trade, security and the development of the Asia-Pacific region, the situation in Afghanistan and human rights promotion.

Also discussed were the situation in Latin America and the Middle East, as well as the role of New Zealand in the South Pacific region and its recent incorporation into the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting.

The EU and New Zealand have maintained relations since 1975 and their cooperation has become more intense since the ministerial meeting held in Lisbon in 2007