Brussels, 11/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and the Ambassador of New Zealand at the European Union have signed an agreement on opening a European Commission Delegation in Wellington. A core team will start operating in Wellington as from 15 March 2004 and the office should be fully operational by early summer, a press release states. Commissioner Patten, who sees this initiative as "recognition of the increasingly close relationship between New Zealand and the EU", thanked the New Zealand authoities for their support and cooperation in allowing this to happen so quickly.
The press release recalls the Joint Declaration of 1999, which has served since then as the basis for bilateral relations. In April 2003, in Wellington, Commissioner Paten and Helen Clark, New Zealand Prime Minister, had decided to take stock of progress made on the basis of this Declaration. The press release states that the exercise will soon be complete, and that Commissioner Patten will analyse the results with the New Zealand Foreign Minister, Philip Goff, whom he will meet on 29 March in Dublin.
The press release also notes the "wide range of shared interests" between the EU and New Zealand not only in the Pacific region but also in the multilateral sphere, and that "many young New Zealanders spend a sabbatical year in the EU".