NEW ZEALAND RESPONDS TO SECRETARY'S MESSAGE ON

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000513

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EAP/ANP - TRAMSEY

E.O. 12985: N/A
TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP GG KPAO OIIP NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND RESPONDS TO SECRETARY'S MESSAGE ON
PSI SECOND ANNIVERSARY PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OUTREACH

REF: STATE 75179


1. (SBU) Embassy passed reftel message and talking points
to New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(MFAT) Disarmament Division on April 26, 2005. Dell
Higgie, Director of MFAT's Security Policy Division and
Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism responded in a letter
that the embassy received on June 28, 2005.


2. (SBU) In the letter, Ambassador Higgie informs that as
part of the New Zealand Government's Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) outreach activities, MFAT has
posted information about PSI on its website
(http://www.mfat.govt.nz/foreign/spd/psi/psi. html),
outlining its purpose and the benefits of New Zealand's
participation in the initiative.


3. (SBU) Ambassador Higgie also included with the letter a
newsletter on counter-terrorism that included information
on the PSI, which was prepared for senior security
officials in Pacific Island countries, and which was
distributed at the inaugural meeting of the Pacific
Islands Forum Working Group on Counter-Terrorism that took
place in Auckland in June. We are faxing a copy of the
newsletter to EAP/ANP.


4. (SBU) Ambassador Higgie comments that "as our Pacific
Forum-wide counter-terrorism exercise rolls out over the
coming months, we will be looking for further
opportunities to raise the profile of PSI with our
regional neighbors." She has said she will keep us
informed of any developments.

Swindells