Mark Field begins trip to Solomon Islands, New Zealand and Australia
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific will today (10 February) begin a 7-day visit to Australasia and the Pacific focusing on trade and innovation.
His first stop will be Honaria, the capital of the Solomon Islands, where he will meet the Governor General Sir Frank Kabui, and the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Hon. Rick Houenipwela to discuss trade and the UK-Solomon Islands bilateral relationship post-Brexit.
The Minister will then travel to New Zealand, where he will meet the Mayors of Auckland and Whangarei, as well as taking part in a roundtable discussion with the Regional Chamber of Commerce. In Wellington, he will meet the Minister for External Trade, Minister for Environment and Minister for Economic Development among others, and attend an England vs New Zealand cricket match at Westpac stadium.
In Australia, Mark Field will visit Sydney, Canberra and Perth. In Sydney the Minister will have a tour of the Royal Botanical Gardens, where he will learn about the Garden’s science activities and research links with London’s Kew Gardens. He will also meet the New South Wales Minister for Innovation.
In Canberra the Minister will discuss UK-Australia co-operation on key regional issues with the Minister for International Development and the Pacific. In Perth he will be visiting Pawsey Supercomputing Centre to explore opportunities for collaboration on high-performance computing, and hear about the centre’s involvement in the Square Kilometre Array.
Rt Hon Mark Field, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific said:
This is my first visit to the Pacific region since becoming Minister at the Foreign Office, and I am delighted to be here.
The UK enjoys a historic relationship and modern partnership with the Solomon Islands, New Zealand and Australia. We have strong ties and an enduring friendship with this region, built on friendship and shared values.
Our strong security, prosperity and people-to-people links are more relevant than ever as work towards advancing our common interests both in the region and further afield.
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