This was a splendid meeting; we discussed a wide spectrum of issues, Mr. Goff said in a RIA interview Friday. According to him, developments in Iraq and Afghanistan figured prominently on the agenda.
Both New Zealand and Russia want the democratic Iraq to achieve stability and prosperity. And they agree that this process should go in line with the related UN resolutions, he said.
Speaking of the situation in Afghanistan, the sides stressed the importance of preventing a power vacuum, something terrorists could capitalize on, Mr. Goff said.
Our interviewee believes that economic cooperation has a huge potential, especially in the agribiz. Another promising area is tourism, which has this year outstripped agriculture to become New Zealand's main source of currency revenues, thanks in no small measure to the on-location shooting of the trilogy "Lord of the Rings," the minister pointed out.
As few as 1,800 Russian nationals now visit New Zealand every year, Mr. Goff noted, but expressed hope that the number of tourists from Russia would increase. He also said he was hopeful that more people from New Zealand would be traveling to Russia. This country is highly attractive to New Zealanders thanks to its unique historical and cultural heritage, he remarked.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and New Zealand, Mr. Goff said. In the Cold War era, the relations were far from brilliant, but now they are positive and progress-oriented, remarked the minister.
