Highlights
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| Sharing Common Ideals Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has concluded a very successful and friendly visit to New Zealand across the last weekend of July. She arrived in Auckland on the evening of July 25th where she was met by NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters, and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Bill McCormick. While here Secretary Rice was the guest of New Zealand government and on July 26th had meetings with Prime Minister Clark, Foreign Minister Peters, and Leader of the Opposition John Key. She was also hosted at a function by the United States New Zealand Council where she spoke on the strong and enduring friendship between the U.S. and N.Z. Following a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister, the evening concluded with a performance by the New Zealand Trio, a chamber music group, playing 'Helix', a piece by New Zealand composer John Psathas. The following day, the Secretary left for Samoa to meet with Pacific Island Foreign Ministers. |
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Latest Headlines From the
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| Visa Waiver Travel: Launch of new Pre-Travel Authorization Program WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today the Interim Final Rule for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a new online system that is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and is required by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 … (more) |
| Ambassador Attends launch of Islamic Awareness Week - "Strong Families, Better Society" Ambassador Bill McCormick attended the launch of New Zealand's Islamic Awareness Week by the Governor-General, Hon. Anand Satyanand, continuing an ongoing commitment to the program by the U.S. Embassy. "Events such as these are essential to help dispel stereotypes and foster understanding between cultures," Ambassador McCormick said. Islamic Awareness Week is sponsored by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand; it runs from August 4th to 10th and is described as "an opportunity for the wider New Zealand community to learn about the beliefs, values and practices of Muslim New Zealanders and how these contribute to New Zealand society." … (more) |
| U.S. - NZ Launch International Partnership on Clean Energy for the Pacific The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander “Andy” Karsner and New Zealand’s Ambassador to the U.S. Roy Ferguson today signed terms of reference for the International Partnership for Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN), an initiative to further the development of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies on island nations and territories … (more) |
 | | Kiwi firefighters fight California fires. |
New Zealand Assistance AppreciatedU.S. Ambassador William McCormick today expressed his appreciation for the New Zealand rural firefighters who will travel to reinforce U.S. firefighters engaged in battling blazes that have consumed more than 273,400 hectares of forests and grasslands in California. Ambassador McCormick praised the extraordinary abilities of the New Zealand firefighters and expressed his strong appreciation for the assistance they have provided to the United States on repeated occasions … (more) |
 | | One of the Kiwi NZPRT soldiers in Bamiyan ceremonially welcomes Laura Bush. |
First Lady Laura Bush visits New Zealand troops in AfghanistanUnited States First Lady Laura Bush visited New Zealand troops working in Afghanistan as part of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT). Her visit, on Sunday, was part of her third unannounced visit to Afghanistan, and occurred ahead of the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan, to be held in Paris on June 12. Mrs Bush was greeted by the New Zealand troops with a traditional challenge and haka before meeting with members of the NZPRT, including the NZPRT Commander, Colonel Darryl Tracy. Following the greeting, Mrs Bush remarked that the NZPRT has been very effective in Afghanistan … (more) |
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State Department launches Blogs at America.gov, a new interactive forum that gives readers around the world a place to share their views and to join in conversation with U.S. and other experts on current events and topics of global interest.Warden Message: Overseas Absentee Voting
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