Prime Minister Announces Official Visit to Canada of New Zealand Prime Minister


January 7, 1999
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley will pay an official visit to Canada January 12-13. Mrs. Shipley is the first New Zealand leader to pay an official bilateral visit to Canada since 1987.

"In 1999, we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with New Zealand. It is a pleasure to host Prime Minister Shipley here at this auspicious time," said the Prime Minister. "Over the years, the ties between our two nations have expanded well beyond the Commonwealth, to include the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Association of South East Asian Nations Regional Forum and the United Nations. Prime Minister Shipley and I met at APEC 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, and I look forward to sharing with her Canada's interests in that forum's future directions now that New Zealand has taken the APEC Chair."

On January 13, Prime Minister Shipley will hold meetings in Ottawa with Prime Minister Chrétien, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy and Minister for International Trade Sergio Marchi.

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