NEW ZEALAND’S High Commission to Fiji has reaffirmed its support towards this year’s Fiji Business Mission organised by the New Zealand Fiji Business Council (NZFBC).
The business mission aims to strengthen communication between businesses in New Zealand and Fiji as part of a $2B trade commitment that was agreed upon by Prime Ministers of Fiji and New Zealand last year.In an interview with this newspaper, New Zealand deputy high commissioner to Fiji Alex Shahryar-Davies this year’s business mission aligned well with the New Zealand government’s commitment to strengthening ties with Fiji.
“The New Zealand Fiji Business Council has been organizing this week’s business mission, and it’s something that the New Zealand High Commission in Suva has been really pleased to support the business communities from both New Zealand and Fiji.
“They are to meet, engage and talk about how we can work together as two countries to boost business opportunities, boost trade and boost investment.
“This is something that naturally aligns really closely with what the New Zealand government is trying to do with Fiji,” Mr Davies said.
He said a line up of events this week will complement this year’s mission.
“The business mission is starting off here in Suva for the first half of this week, being the capital and where a lot of businesses are, it makes sense to come here.
“Later this week, the business mission heads off to the West to engage with all sorts of different businesses that are doing tourism, agriculture, BPO sector and other different kinds of sectors,” he said.
He said the sister councils from both New Zealand and Fiji are well positioned to discuss certain trade and investment barriers faced in doing business, noting that the High Commission was ready to assist their aspirations.
“We want to learn from them.
“We want to hear from them, what they’re going through, the challenges they’re facing, and we want to hear about how the New Zealand government can support their aspirations.”
The deputy high commissioner further pointed out that New Zealand’s minister for Trade and Investment would also later be visiting the country for the annual trade ministers meeting.
“It’s very exciting, there’s a lot happening in terms of connecting businesses, connecting the two governments together to talk about two-way trade, investment and shared prosperity,” he said.
The NZFBC business mission will conclude with a business breakfast forum this Friday.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated July 16, 2025
