CAIRO: Following the official opening of the New Zealand embassy in November, Daily News Egypt spoke to the new ambassador to find out what this means for relations between the two countries
Ties between Egypt and New Zealand might not be immediately obvious, but historically the countries are closer than one might imagine. For one, cooperation between the two countries was vital in stopping the axis powers penetrating North Africa in World War Two.
Over 70,000 troops from New Zealand were stationed in Cairo at one time or another during the war and much of the affluent suburb of Maadi is now built around their former army base.
“Maadi was literally a household word in New Zealand in the war years and after, said New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, at the embassy’s opening ceremony in the Cairo Marriott Hotel on Nov. 29. But relations since then, she admitted, “have faded a little.
Now the country famed for its breathtaking landscapes, the best fishing in the world and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is looking to re-establish its relationship with Egypt.
New Zealand’s Ambassador in Cairo Rene Wilson explained everything to Daily News Egypt in his embassy’s new offices, overlooking the Nile in downtown Cairo.
Daily News Egypt: Where were you posted before Egypt?
RW: Egypt is my sixth posting. I was formerly Ambassador in South Africa – or ‘High Commissioner’ as it’s known there because it’s a Commonwealth country. Before that I served in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and I was Deputy Secretary-General for the Pacific Forum, which is like a Pacific equivalent to the Arab League.
As you can see from my record my background is more in Asia than the Middle East, but I’m happily learning about this part of the world. It’s been great so far. I think Cairo is a city that reveals itself slowly, and gets progressively more interesting.
How large is the mission here?
There are five New Zealanders and the rest are Egyptian staff. This is a fairly typical sized mission for New Zealand – we tend to do quite a bit of multitasking!
Why did New Zealand open an Embassy here and why now?
Our Prime Minister feels very strongly that Egypt is at the center of the Arab world, and this region is very important to us. We needed to be represented here and we need to be engaged and informed about what is happening here.
There used to be an Egyptian embassy in New Zealand but we didn’t reciprocate because at the time we were preoccupied with domestic economic reform. We were not opening posts throughout those years and in 1988 the Egyptian embassy was closed. Things quietened between us through those years.
But New Zealand has transformed from what it was. It’s very different from the agricultural economy that it was when Egypt first came to New Zealand.
What is trade like between Egypt and New Zealand, and are there plans for expansion?
It hasn’t been so busy, though a New Zealand company Fonterra has the lion’s share of the dairy market here. We are trying to grow in a number of areas including tourism, IT and communications. Vodafone New Zealand just opened a call center here.
We have been quite active in the Gulf, and we would like to replicate that here. It is becoming easier to get between the two countries now – air connections exist in a way they didn’t before. As Helen Clark said, “New Zealand is just a day away.
The embassy is working on an Egypt-New Zealand business circle, which will provide business interests in both countries with information and contacts. There will also be a trade mission coming here in 2008.
What about cultural ties between the two countries?
The current exhibit of New Zealand photographer John Feeney’s work at the Sony Gallery at the American University in Cairo is a signal of our intentions.
We will be running New Zealand films in the New Year. And there is talk of artistic exchanges between Egyptian and Maori artists, who came to Egypt with the Prime Minister for the opening of the embassy.
There are also educational scholarships available.
Does New Zealand have any military or peacekeeping force in Egypt or in the region?
We have a peacekeeping force with the Sinai MFO based in the North Camp, ‘Angora.’ It’s a multinational force and they are there to monitor the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement.
New Zealand is one of the original contributors to this force. We’ve been there since the 1980s. Our Prime Minister visited them when she was here, which is the second time she’s been up there, and our Minister of Defense visited last December. So we maintain regular contact.
New Zealand is very active in peacekeeping around the world. We have presences in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and are part of UN forces in a number of places.
We want to play a constructive, even-handed role in this region.
