Ambassador to the EU named

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has named diplomat David Taylor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the European Union. Mr Taylor will also be accredited to Sweden and NATO.

“The position of Ambassador to the EU has become one of the most important and senior in our foreign service and the role will only become more critical as time passes,” Mr McCully says.

“Economically, the EU is our third largest trading partner and we are hopeful that this relationship can be further strengthened through the negotiation of a free trade agreement.

“The EU has responsibility for advising, implementing and coordinating policy across a wide range of issues on behalf of its 28 member states. This means our mission in Brussels plays an important role in advocating for New Zealand’s interests with the EU institutions.

“Sweden is a natural partner for New Zealand in both the EU and United Nations contexts and our partnership with NATO continues to develop on the back on our support for the NATO led mission in Afghanistan,” Mr McCully says. 

Mr Taylor has most recently been Ambassador to Indonesia. He will take up his assignment later this year.