New Zealand wants to help build up Indonesia’s dairy sector Indonesia’s dairy sector is small at present. Consumption of dairy products is only about 11 kg of milk per capita per annum compared to 50 kg in Singapore and 280 kg in the United States. Consumption in Indonesia is forecast to grow by about 50

A question I frequently get is “can you help me get a visa to New Zealand?” often followed by a remark about how difficult it can be to obtain visas to certain countries. I don’t deal with visas on a day to day basis so refer enquiries to the experts online or the team in

Discussions with New Zealand companies in recent weeks has highlighted the value in breaking down how the New Zealand Embassy can support business. This blog is an attempt to set out simply and clearly what the team here can do to help. The key agencies so far as New Zealand companies are concerned are the

I recently spent a fortnight in New Zealand. This was not only a good opportunity to enjoy the brilliant late summer weather in Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland, but also a chance to connect with a wide range of businesses with interests in Indonesia. There is certainly growing interest in deepening trade and business ties, evidenced

One of the most important aspects of an Embassy’s work is the provision of consular services and support. When New Zealanders get into trouble, we need to respond quickly. The safe travel website (www.safetravel.govt.nz) provides a lot of helpful information to think about before travelling and when something goes wrong. It’s the obvious first place

One of the sad realities of big cities is that there are children living on the margins. But the upside is that there is often people wanting to help them. Last year the Embassy was pleased to support Puspita Foundation, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged and marginalised young people. Over the years

I began to write this blog on Boxing Day 2012, remembering with great sadness the tsunami that swept through Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and various other countries in 2004. I was living in Seoul at the time and remember with my daughters tracking the progress of the tsunami on the internet and being appalled

A highlight of my time in Indonesia has been the chance to visit some of the wonderful parts of this archipelago of over 17,000 islands. I’ve been struck by the physical beauty of Indonesia, the rich cultures and wonderful friendly people, and the biodiversity that’s still evident in many places. But one of the disappointments

The ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) plays an essential but often unheralded role in regional affairs. To pick up the car metaphor so often used in relation to ASEAN (“ASEAN in the driver’s seat”), I see ASEC as the engine. It’s what will get the organisation to the destination identified by those sitting in the vehicle. Based

The title of this blog owes a debt to the Jakarta Post headline the day after Indonesia’s and New Zealand’s Foreign Ministers met in Jakarta on 9 October 2012 for their annual stocktake of the bilateral relationship.  This stocktake, the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), provides an opportunity to look at all aspects of bilateral ties