31 July 2023

On Thursday, 29 June 2023, we held an event at the Banquet Hall of Parliament called 50 Years of Diplomatic Relations Mexico-New Zealand: A focus on government, academic and people-to-people links. The event, hosted by the Speaker of the House Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe, explored the links that have grown between Aotearoa New Zealand and Mexico since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973. It was supported by the Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC), and followed on from a similar business- and trade-focused event organised by LANZBC in June with Trade and Export Growth Minister Hon Damien O’Connor.

The event featured a discussion from the Speaker and Mexican-born Ricardo Menendez-March, welcomes from Ambassadors, cultural performances, and panels on government initiatives, university connections, and the experiences of Mexicans in New Zealand. Together the sessions showed that our nations’ researchers, students, communities and officials are more connected than often thought. Below, you can watch videos of all the sessions. Below each video is a list of who appears in each video.

Opening and welcomes

• Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe, Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Dr Matthew O’Meagher, Director, Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence
• Her Excellency, Sara Meymand, New Zealand Ambassador to Mexico (pre-recorded video address)
• His Excellency, Alfredo Pérez Bravo, Mexican Ambassador to New Zealand

Reflections on the Speaker’s Delegation to Mexico and recent bilateral talks

• Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe, Speaker of the House
• Ricardo Menéndez-March, Green Party List MP
• Fernando González Saiffe, Director-General Asia-Pacific, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Relations (via Zoom)

Panel 1: Multilateral ‘likemindedness’

Sarah Lee (chair), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Hon Tim Groser, former Trade Minister
• Anthony Simpson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Dr Roberto Dondisch, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (via Zoom)
• Miguel Hijar-Chiapa, ANZSANA President (via Zoom)

Panel 2: University connections

Bronwen Kelly (chair), Universities New Zealand

• Lee Davidson, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
• Richard Reddaway, Massey University
• Angela Davis, University of Otago
• Elizabeth Macpherson, University of Canterbury
• Artemio Mendoza, Lincoln University (via Zoom)
• Michael Gschwendtner, Auckland University of Technology
• Lupesina Koro, Aurecon
• Zac Thomas, Venture Partner, Rali Cap Ventures

Panel 3: Community experiences

Craig Nicholson (chair) Latin America CAPE

• Judith Baez, Radio Que Onda
• Natalia Albert, TOP candidate for Wellington Central
• Edgar Rodríguez Ramírez, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
• Victoria Escaip, University of Canterbury
• Adriana Destenave-Fernandez. Latin America CAPE (via Zoom)
• Robbie Francis Watene, Lucy Foundation (via Zoom)
• Priscila Pilatowsky, NZIIA Palmerston North (via Zoom)
• Israel Reyes, Cyber-security specialist

Presentation of the CAPE’s initiatives including our Wayfinding data visualisation tool

Matthew O’Meagher, Director, Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence showcases  the CAPEs initiatives focused on Mexico and explains the CAPE’s new Wayfinding data visualisation tool.

Closing remarks

• Matthew O’Meagher, Director, Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence
• Ricardo Menéndez-March, Green Party List MP
• His Excellency, Alfredo Pérez Bravo, Mexican Ambassador to New Zealand

Closing performance by Carlos Navae

The event was closed with a performance from Carlos Navae: singer, guitarist, percussionist