First, on the lawn of the Government House, the Ambassador attended a traditional welcome ceremony with the indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand, the Māori people.

Subsequently, already in the Government House, an exchange of speeches took place. The Ambassador highlighted the tradition of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the arrival of the first settlers from Czech lands to New Zealand in the 19th century and the current Czech community in the country, supported by the Czech Honorary Consuls in Auckland and Queenstown.

The Governor General, on the other hand, acknowledged the strong role, the Czech Republic has played in responding to the President Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and the trade relations between the Czech Republic and New Zealand. She recognised and appreciated the Czech Republic’s support for an open, outwards-looking European Union in the context of the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement.

The ceremony was also attended by Timothy and Sebastian Tyrer - husband and son of the Ambassador, Milan Vagner and Teeraphan Tingwang - economic diplomat and his wife and Gregory Shanahan - Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Auckland.

On the same day, the Ambassadors of Brunei, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, with whom the Ambassador had the opportunity to meet in person, also presented their credentials.

Additional photos are available on the Embassy's Facebook profile HERE.