New Zealand Parliamentarians Call on Secretary Locsin
From left to right: Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Jesus S. Domingo, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Asia and Pacific Affairs Meynardo LB. Montealegre, Member of Parliament Paulo Garcia, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., New Zealand National Party leader Simon Bridges, Ambassador of New Zealand to the Philippines David Strachan, Member of Parliament (MP) Gerry Brownlee, and MP Mark Mitchell. (DFA Photo by Philip Adrian G. Fernandez)
21 January 2020 — Members of the New Zealand National Party paid a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. on 20 January 2020.
The group, which is led by Member of Parliament (MP) Honorable Simon Bridges, is composed of MPs Hon. Gerry Brownlee, Hon. Mark Mitchell, and Hon. Paulo Garcia, the first New Zealand parliamentarian of Filipino descent.
The call is a standard component of the regular visits overseas sponsored by the New Zealand government for the head of the New Zealand opposition party.
During the call, Secretary Locsin underscored the longstanding friendship between the Philippines and New Zealand, particularly in fundamental areas of people-to-people relations, trade, investment, agriculture, science, and defense. He also welcomed, with pride, the presence of MP Garcia, as a kababayan and balikbayan to the Philippines, on his achievement as the first Filipino-Kiwi in New Zealand’s parliament, and as a representative of the 80,000-strong Filipino community in New Zealand.
Alongside MP Bridges, as head of the opposition party of New Zealand, the delegation comprised of MP Brownlee who had previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand; and MP Mitchell who worked with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish emergency humanitarian teams to aid countries affected by natural disasters, including the Philippines. Ambassador of New Zealand to the Philippines David Strachan accompanied the delegation.
During the course of their visit, the parliamentarians will also meet with their parliamentary counterparts, as well as other Philippine government officials. END