Aquino begins 2-day visit to New Zealand

Philippine President Benigno Aquino (2nd L) addresses the Filipino community during his visit to Auckland on October 22, 2012 as Philippines ambassador to New Zealand Virginia Benavidez (2nd R) and Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario (R) look on. Aquino is in New Zealand for a two-day visit before flying to Australia. AFP PHOTO / Bradley Ambrose

AUCKLAND—President Benigno Aquino III arrived here before noon Monday to a red carpet welcome by the New Zealand government.

The state visit of Aquino here, his first since becoming President in 2010, aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the Philippines and New Zealand which have seen modest gains in the areas of trade, agriculture, renewable energy and tourism since the inception of formal diplomatic relations in 1966.

The Philippines is New Zealand’s 13th largest export market, but is also the latter’s third largest market for dairy products after China and the US.

The President left Manila Sunday evening with a lean delegation composed Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang.

Upon arrival at Auckland International Airport at 11:15 a.m. Monday, Aquino was met on the tarmac by Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Virginia Benavidez; the Representatives of the Governor General and the Prime Minister; Ambassador Graeme Waters, special adviser and former chief protocol of New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Reuben Levermore, the New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines; and Lynne Gallie, ceremonial manager of the New Zealand Visit and Ceremonial Office.

The two-day state visit to New Zealand will take the President to two major cities of this picturesque southernmost Pacific country.

Aquino was scheduled to meet with Filipino migrants and overseas Filipino workers during a Filipino-community gathering at SkyCity Convention Center.

The following day, Aquino will proceed to the capital, Wellington, for two separate bilateral meetings with Prime Minister John Phillip Key and Governor General Jerry Mateparae, and also for a customary meeting with the opposition leader, David Shearer.

Although the Philippines and New Zealand have many fronts for convergence, both countries only have two bilateral mechanisms–on political and security issues, and on defense and security dialogue.

Thus, the Philippines is pushing to gain further inroads into New Zealand, which is host to only 36,000 Filipino migrants and workers, such as trade and economic matters, people-to-people linkages, and other global issues of mutual concern.

Unlike its neighboring Australia, New Zealand has no existing agreement on defense with the Philippines.