18 September 2024

The Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC) in partnership with the Embassy of Argentina in Wellington and with the support of the Latin America CAPE commemorated on 16 August 2024 the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations between Argentina and New Zealand.  Specifically, with an event at Eden Park Auckland on the eve of the rugby test between the Pumas and the All Blacks.

There was a fantastic attendance by the business, diplomatic and Argentinian communities at the event, which featured a stellar line-up of keynote speakers, including Her Excellency Ms Maria Belen Bogado, the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to New Zealand, the Rt Hon Helen Clark and Sir Don McKinnon, both of whom are Patrons of the LANZBC.  Also featured were panels on sports diplomacy and doing business in Argentina.

Our Deputy Director, Craig Nicholson moderated the Diplomacy in Sport panel that featured Dame Patsy Reddy, Chair of the NZ Rugby Board and Jaime Javier Barba from the Executive Board of the Argentine Rugby Union.   A stand-out theme was new opportunities between our two countries in the ongoing development of rugby, including women’s rugby and promoting greater diversity and equity in rugby in Argentina and New Zealand, including exchanges of players and coaches, for example.

The business panel featured David Chin (CEO Livestock Improvement Corporation, LIC), Andrea Bonetto (Zelandez Marketing Director) and Genevieve Clark (Vice President Product, Ao Frio Ltd.) who all gave inspiring updates about how busy they are working with partner Argentinian businesses in developing the market and about the importance of Argentina for such companies’ export services and products.