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EU-New Zealand hit it off in Madrid
Photo: Murray McCully with Miguel Ángel Moratinos (click for full size) |
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, acting for the the EU's High Representative, Catherine Ashton, joined his New Zealand colleague, Foreign Minister Murray McCully, in chairing the six monthly EU-New Zealand Political Dialogue at Ministerial level.
In a strictly bilateral context, both delegations covered topics regarding the EU's institutional development with special emphasis on external relations and EU enlargement, as well as issues related to the current world economic and financial situation. They worked to move forward the implementation of the EU-New Zealand Joint Declaration, adopted at the Ministerial Meeting in Lisbon in September 2007, the reference framework for EU-New Zealand relations until now.
In the regional context, the partners addressed recent developments in the Asian regional architecture as well as the situation in Asia-Pacific—including Afghanistan and its neighbour Pakistan—and in the South Pacific. Finally there was a discussion on the effects of climate change and the measures that are being adopted by both sides to tackle this environmental threat.
 
(16 June 2010)
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