A New Zealand View

The Iranian Government is looking to form i Trilateral support with a developed western nation to help rebuild Iraq and Iran.
Their 1st request was to New Zealand, who will go into talks of possible terms should this go ahead, New Zealand (By australia) has shown friendly ties to Iran since WW2, Iran was at one point New Zealands largest lamb importer taking $100 million in the 80's. New Zealand has remained diplomatically friendly with Iran even when they held American embassy members hostage in the 1980's.

As of today no reasons have been given on why New Zealand was choosen 1st, one can only speculate that it was for these reasons...

• The two countries past relationship


• The fact that NZ is a doner nation to Afghanistan and Iraq to help the rebuilding


• That New Zealand has made a stand against USA in the 80's on nuclear free policies


• That New Zealand isn't influenced by America (as the Iranians don't like the Americans


• Last year NZ secret service caught 2 Isreali spies trying to enter the country, Isreal has failed to appologise, meaning NZ has cancelled several high ranking diplomatic visits between them...Iranians have a very sour attitude to Isrealis, so NZ who is still wanting an appology from Isreal has similar stances towards them

NZ Herald

"Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said he was "open-minded"about the proposal, but added that he would want to see detailed plans.

But Mr Goff cautioned "no details" were discussed during the formal talks. "He said he was exploring ways to enhance the co-operation between Iran and New Zealand in their region knowing we were active in Afghanistan and having a joint desire that Afghanistan and Iraq be peaceful, stable and prosperous countries with some distance to go. Obviously if they were to come up with a proposal that we thought was constructive in achieving the objectives that we have - which is a peaceful, stable and democratic Iraq - then we would look at how we might cooperate ... but we would have to see that it fitted into our wider development assistance strategy."

<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10114529>

Also although New Zealand was the 1st country approached others including Britian, Russia, Polland, Germany and Japan are interested in this Trilateral should NZ pull out.

NZ Herald

"Tehran-based reports sourced to the head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce suggest that Britain, Russia, Poland, Japan and Germany have all indicated interest in going into partnership with Iran over reconstruction programmes in Iraq."

<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10114529>

Please post your ideas on this news topic, debate it using the comment button, hopefully oneday this can be a news journal that has members who can come here to debate the news.

Prince Charles the hier to the British throne is visiting New Zealand this week, he is here for 5 days and the government is setting aside $50 000NZ a day for him (£16 000).
I think that having a royal visit is a good thing because it help to brign the two countries together, however I think that amount of money from the tax payers pockets is a ridiculous amount.

Quote NZ herald Britain's Prince Charles arrived in Dunedin last night on the first day of a whirlwind tour of New Zealand that will take in penguins, paintings, St Pauls, and -- maybe even -- pubs.

The 56-year-old heir to the British throne was met by cabinet minister Pete Hodgson and Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin as he stepped off a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) jet at 8.20pm.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10113783>

Prince Charles being the hier to the throne is going to be the next king of Britian and all the common wealth (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other countries, mainly pacific islands) However the King has no real power in New Zealand and just serves as the head of state.

Quote NZ herald rince Charles' visit to New Zealand inevitably provokes questions about his future suitability as King of this country.

Charles is an unusual personality, not easy to pin down. There is a lack of clarity about him; a certain hesitancy. As the heir to the throne, he is in a perennially impossible situation; damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Charles has never been greatly interested in the Commonwealth. He is not an internationalist by nature or experience and he confines his initiatives and his interests within a relatively narrow range in Britain. In the absence of any reputation for anything else he is saddled with the image of someone who talks to vegetables and denigrates modern architecture. <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=10114009>

I'd like to hear any comments from anyone on this!

P.S. Sorry this is so random and unimportant to many people out there, I just felt that I should open my journal with a current and contraversial issue, hopefully it will get people interested in my journal and will invoke peopel to comment.