New ambassadors and Consul-General announced

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today announced the appointment of ambassadors to Thailand and Viet Nam and Consul-General in Shanghai.

“Asia is a vitally important region for New Zealand and we are actively seeking closer relationships to ensure business and economic growth,” Mr McCully says.

Career diplomats Tony Lynch and Haike Manning will be New Zealand’s next ambassadors to Thailand and Viet Nam respectively, with Matthew Dalzell, another career diplomat, appointed to Consul-General in Shanghai.

“Shanghai is the gateway to booming East China. It accounts for a big share of New Zealand trade with China and has enormous potential for growth,” Mr McCully says.

Mr Dalzell, a Mandarin speaker and most recently Acting Director of International Development Partnerships, will lead the New Zealand Inc. initiative to double New Zealand exports by 2015, and provide skilled and accessible support to the New Zealand private sector. The position also covers the Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces.

New Zealand will be represented in Thailand, as well as Cambodia, Laos and Burma by Mr Lynch.

“Thailand and New Zealand have a particularly close relationship. This was well demonstrated by Thailand’s generous support following the Christchurch earthquake, and our own contribution to Thailand’s flood relief effort,” Mr McCully says.

Mr Lynch was recently Foreign Policy Advisor in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He has also served in Geneva as Deputy Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Manning, the next ambassador to Viet Nam, is currently Deputy Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Trade Negotiations Division.

“Viet Nam is an increasingly important partner for New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific region. Our trade and economic relationship continues to grow, with two-way trade increasing by more than 30 per cent in 2010/11,” Mr McCully says.

“Haike’s trade background and involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and WTO negotiations equip him well to further our trade and economic relationship with Viet Nam.”