Career diplomat Marion Crawshaw will be New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced today.

"New Zealand and Papua New Guinea enjoy a close relationship across a range of areas, including a large aid and development relationship, defence cooperation, and commercial and business linkages," Mr McCully said.

"New Zealand's involvement in the Bougainville peace process and subsequent peace monitoring missions has been a significant part of the bilateral relationship in recent years.

"That support is ongoing, with New Zealand Police based in the towns of Buka and Arawa currently helping to train the Bougainville Community Police.

"There are also strong personal links between our countries, with many New Zealanders working in PNG as volunteers or with NGOs and church groups," Mr McCully said.

Ms Crawshaw is currently director of the Knowledge Services Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has previous postings in Honiara, Suva, Paris, and Rome.  She takes up her appointment in mid 2010, replacing Niels Holm, who is returning to Wellington.