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Ambassador Peter Ryan
Ireland's first Ambassador to NZ, Peter Ryan, says relations between the two countries have never been closer.
Ryan leaves NZ with a legacy, which covers trade, culture and community. His next posting is ambassador to Nigeria, where Ireland has one of its largest embassies in the world.
In addition to physically establishing the NZ embassy, Ryan has travelled the length and breadth of the country many times, meeting people. He has been instrumental in setting up a range of business, cultural and community initiatives. These include promoting Irish business networks and supporting Irish/NZ cultural ties, and Ryan and his staff played a major role in repatriating Irish people back to Ireland during the Covid pandemic.
During his four year stint in NZ, FTAs with both the UK and the EU were signed and Ireland even beat the All Blacks in an historic test series.
Perhaps one of Ryan's greatest achievements was growing and bringing to the fore the links between Ireland and Maori and Pacifica people - along with all New Zealanders. One in six people in NZ have Irish heritage.
"Both our embassy here and the NZ one in Dublin, which were established at the same time, would not have been able to hit the found running as they did if it wasn't for the wonderful respect that both countries hold mutually," Ryan told Rural News. "Like any treasure, you have to look after it and nurture it."
Peter Ryan has been a dynamic, energetic individual, who in the space of four years has raised the profile of Ireland in NZ in many ways - especially in the field of agriculture, agritech and culture.
He says the highlight of his time in New Zealand has been seeing the coming together of community and business, taking a new and fresh outlook for the future, which he hopes will strengthen even more the strong links between the two nations.
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