MESSAGE FOR EAP DAS DAVIES FROM AMBASSADOR

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000627 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EAP/FO, EAP/ANP, EAP/RSP, AND EAP/PD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV OTRA NZ SUBJECT: MESSAGE FOR EAP DAS DAVIES FROM AMBASSADOR MCCORMICK: YOUR AUGUST 17-19 VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND ¶1. (SBU) Kia ora! New Zealand officials are very enthusiastic about your upcoming visit, which they see as the latest sign of our improving bilateral communication and cooperation. The officials plan to update you on New Zealand's activities in the Pacific and beyond. They also wish to continue the dialogue begun by US and NZ officials during last month's informal talks in Brussels on ways to pursue greater bilateral cooperation in security, law enforcement, and other areas of mutual interest. A copy of your draft schedule has been provided via e-mail. The following is a thumbnail sketch of what to expect: -------------- SCHEDULED MEETINGS IN WELLINGTON -------------- ¶2. (SBU) All your meetings with GNZ officials will take place on August 18. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) officials have scheduled two roundtables. The first, which will be chaired by Deputy Secretary (U/S equivalent) Alan Williams, will cover Pacific Issues. It will include presentations by MFAT staff. Representatives from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) may also participate, although MFAT plans the focus to be on NZ's diplomatic -- rather than military -- activities in the region. (FYI: Ten of New Zealand's 48 diplomatic missions are in Polynesia and Melanesia: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Tonga, and Vanuatu.) MFAT would like the discussions to cover regional topics, including the Post Forum Dialogue and governance and development problems. They also hope to exchange views on strategic issues, such as the influence of third countries on the region. Finally, MFAT would like to review the state of play in individual countries, notably the Solomons, Timor, Tonga, and Fiji. New Zealand continues its peacekeeping role in the Solomons and Timor, although the emphasis in both is shifting from military to law enforcement operations. ¶3. (SBU) You will next have a meeting with Simon Murdoch, who as CEO of MFAT is the Ministry's senior ranking career official. Murdoch, a former High Commissioner to Australia who has also served as Political Counselor in Washington, has long favored a closer GNZ-USG working relationship. Murdoch would like to discuss with you overall US/NZ relations and exchange ideas on how to move things forward. ¶4. (SBU) Murdoch will also host a working lunch for you intended to further the Bangkok meeting agenda. It will include representatives from MFAT, NZ Agency for Development (NZAID),MoD, NZ Defence Force, and others. GNZ would like to explore possible concrete areas for cooperation as suggested by the draft Aide Memoire produced out of the Bangkok meeting. ¶5. (SBU) The second MFAT roundtable will end your day of meetings. It will be chaired by acting MFAT Deputy Secretary Dell Higgie, who is also New Zealand's Ambassador for Counter-terrorism. It will include staff from MFAT, MoD, and possibly NZ Police and Maritime NZ. MFAT plans for the discussion to focus on bilateral and multilateral issues of US/NZ mutual interest, such as PSI, CT/global security, regional security issues, and events surrounding the International Polar Year and 50th Anniversary of US and New Zealand Antarctic cooperation not covered at the lunch. ¶6. (SBU) Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said he would also like to meet with you during your visit. As of August 11, it remains uncertain whether his schedule will permit this. Peters remains very keen on strengthening bilateral ties, and was very satisfied with his recent meetings in Washington. ¶7. (SBU) We have also scheduled two media events during your visit. The first will be an informal dinner with NZ journalists from print and electronic media, which will take place on the evening of August 17 after your meetings with Embassy staff. The dinner is strictly on background, and journalists have been told that you are as interested in hearing about their perspectives on the US-NZ relationship as you are in discussing USG views and policies. On the morning of August 19 you are to appear via live feed on Agenda TV, an Auckland program favored by Wellington policy wonks that is somewhat similar to our "Meet the Press." We have said you will focus on regional issues, but expect that up to half the questions you get will be about the bilateral relationship. (NB: A meeting with Minister Peters might also include a media component.) -------------- AUCKLAND -------------- ¶8. (SBU) You are slated to have lunch in Auckland with representatives from business and academia with an interest in the bilateral relationship. To date, participants include Stephen Jacobi, a former NZ diplomat who is a member of the US-NZ Council Board and key driver of the US-NZ Partnership Forum; Mike Hearn, AmCham President (and a Kiwi); and Auckland University Professor Steve Hoadley. -------------- CONCLUSION -------------- ¶9. (U) We warmly welcome your visit! Please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you before you arrive or changes you would like made to your schedule. McCormick