New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (REUTERS/File Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will be in the Philippines on Thursday for an official visit, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
During a farewell call with President Ferdinand “Bonbong” Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace, outgoing New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Kell said that Luxon has been keenly interested in visiting the country.
“He (Luxon) has been very clear that he wants to come to the Philippines. He knows the Philippines as you’ve explained. And he knows that it’s important,” Kell said, as quoted in a PCO statement.
“And he knows what you’re trying to do and he wants to support. Having— putting it simply and so… his mission is to show the rest of his delegation [the] 25 tops business leaders. They should be doing more in this part of the world, they should be doing more in the Philippines,” he added.
Luxon is set to arrive in Manila and will meet Marcos on Thursday afternoon.
According to the statement, the visit will highlight the Philippines and New Zealand’s commitment to stronger ties as they approach the 60th commemoration in 2026 of the establishment of bilateral relations.
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Kell also mentioned that his post as envoy to the Philippines was briefly extended for the visit of Luxon.
The Philippines and New Zealand have been sharing formal diplomatic relations for 57 years since its establishment on July 6, 1966.
In 2023, New Zealand ranked as the Philippines’ 28th largest trading partner out of 230, with total trade amounting to $495.37 million, or about P24 billion.
“It is the country’s 38th export destination and 24th import source,” the PCO said.
Meanwhile, in 2023, there were a total of 29,272 recorded tourist arrivals from New Zealand, up from 17,503 in 2022, making it the 22nd top source of visitors to the Philippines.
There are also 79,998 Filipinos in New Zealand based on the pending results of the 2023 New Zealand Census. This figure is higher than 72,612 in 2018, 40,347 in 2013, and 16,938 in 2006.