McCully attends CHOGM

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully leaves today to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.

The Minister will attend the Foreign Ministers’ meetings and represent the Prime Minister at the Leaders’ meetings.

“It will be an important meeting for the Commonwealth as it debates what reforms are needed to be more effective,” said Mr McCully.

“The Commonwealth can also make a useful contribution to the Pacific. Since New Zealand is currently the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum I will brief Commonwealth Leaders on the outcome of our recent successful meeting in Auckland,” he said.

The Minister will have meetings with Caribbean and African Commonwealth members, as well as with the European Union.

He will also meet with Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman to sign a Joint Commitment for Development, which sets out the priority areas for New Zealand’s aid and development effort in Vanuatu.

CHOGM is a biennial meeting and was last hosted by Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. Her Majesty the Queen will attend.