New High Commissioner to Barbados announced

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced the appointment of diplomat Anton Ojala as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Barbados.

“New Zealand shares a warm friendship with Barbados based on long-standing connections through the Commonwealth and the United Nations,” says Mr Peters.

“New Zealand has strengthened ties even further since it opened a High Commission in Bridgetown in 2014. Since then, the two countries have worked together to advocate for Small Island Developing States and to call for action on climate change.

“Bridgetown has also been an effective base for New Zealand to share our expertise in renewable energy, agriculture, and disaster risk management with the whole Caribbean region via our aid programme,” says Mr Peters.

The High Commission is also accredited to a number of other Caribbean states and liaises with the two major regional bodies - the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Mr Ojala is the outgoing Manager of Global Development and Scholarships at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has had diplomatic roles in the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and most recently in Niue as New Zealand High Commissioner.