Pacific

New acting NZ High Commissioner arrives in Fiji

22:20 pm on 9 March 2010

The new acting head of the New Zealand High Commission has arrived in Fiji.

The Fiji Times reports that the High Commission's staff welcomed Phillip Taula, a career diplomat who has previously been posted to New York and Jakarta.

Mr Taula's appointment was announced following a meeting between the foreign ministers of New Zealand and Australia last month, as part of efforts to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In addition to consular work for New Zealand tourists and citizens in Fiji, the commission runs an extensive development assistance programme for Fiji, Tuvalu, and a number of regional organisations.