New Ambassador to Indonesia announced

Foreign Minister Murray McCully has today named career diplomat Trevor Matheson as New Zealand’s new Ambassador to Indonesia.

“Indonesia is the largest country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and, with a population of more than 250 million, strong economic growth and a growing consumer population, it is also an important market for New Zealand companies,” Mr McCully says.

“There is potential for huge growth in our trading relationship which is helped by the ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand Free Trade Area agreement which entered into force in 2012.

“New Zealand and Indonesia cooperate closely on political, economic and security issues. Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, the third-largest democracy, and has strong influence in the Southeast Asian region.

“New Zealand’s aid and development programme with Indonesia is the largest with any country outside of the Pacific, and the programme’s focus on areas such as renewable energy, disaster risk management, agriculture, and human resource development draws on areas of New Zealand expertise,” Mr McCully says.

Dr Matheson is currently New Zealand’s Ambassador to Italy, and has had previous postings in Riyadh, Rarotonga, Canberra and Geneva.