The European Union’s new ambassador in New Zealand has offered the Government a helping hand with the country’s infrastructure problems, saying the bloc may be able to share its expertise in the area.
Lawrence Meredith has also praised New Zealand’s contributions to the war in Ukraine as the conflict enters its third year, saying solidarity matters as much as the scale of its financial contribution.
Meredith’s arrival in Wellington earlier this year comes after the signing in mid-2023 of an NZ-EU free trade deal, following years of hard-fought and protracted negotiations between the two sides.
While the European Parliament ratified the deal last November, the equivalent process is still underway on the New Zealand side, with FTA legislation currently going through Parliament.
Speaking to Newsroom, Meredith said he expected the deal to enter into force by the middle of this year, at which point the focus would then shift to ensuring its theoretical benefits to businesses and consumers became a reality.
“An agreement is very important, but … even when it’s ratified, it’s at that point an agreement on paper, and both sides agree it’s very much about potential opportunities.”
In his discussions with Kiwi businesses and politicians, the greatest excitement appeared to be in the possibilities for seafood, horticulture and meat exports.
A treaty signed alongside the trade deal gave Kiwi researchers improved access to projects run through Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme with a $160 billion budget, while Meredith mentioned infrastructure and investment as other areas the two sides could work more closely together.
“You asked me where I see potential for investment: climate-related finance, wind, solar, these are big areas, but also … there’s big expertise on logistics in the European Union, whether that’s road or ferry.
“I know it’s quite a lively debate here on the next phase for infrastructure, so I think the EU sees potential opportunities of sharing from its own experiences.”
In 2021 the EU launched its $532 billion Global Gateway Initiative, seen by many as an effort to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative but which has faced criticism from some quarters over a perceived failure to deliver.
Meredith marked the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at a ceremony in Wellington’s Civic Square last month, and said it was “really important that like-minded partners such as New Zealand and the European Union, who stand up for shared values of rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights, [show] that we’re all in this together”.
“This is a war about values, and Ukrainians are fighting and unfortunately dying for freedom and sovereignty … I don’t need to tell you that New Zealand was the first country to grant women the vote, you’ve always been strong defenders of democracy, and I think standing shoulder to shoulder is really important.”
The Government last month announced $25.9 million in additional support for Ukraine – a figure dwarfed by the $89 billion package unveiled by the EU at the start of February, although Meredith downplayed the disparity in financial contributions.
“It’s not so much about volumes, it’s about saying to President Zelenskyy, who’s helping Ukrainians fight for their lives, that we’re all on the side of democracy, rule of law and human rights, and it’s really important that those values, and Ukraine, prevails.”