Greece–New Zealand relations are bilateral relations between Greece and New Zealand. Greece is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.[1] New Zealand has a non-resident ambassador in Rome, Italy.
Stemming from World War II, New Zealand forces fought alongside the Greeks in continental Greece and Crete since then, Greece has claimed a special relationship with New Zealand. An under-equipped force made-up of largely New Zealand, Australian, British and Greek troops fought to protect the island from invasion. The invasion of Crete by German paratroops began on 20 May 1941 and ended seven days later with the evacuation of 16,500 Commonwealth troops. Allied losses in the Battle of Crete numbered 15,743. New Zealand casualties were 671 killed and 967 wounded, while 2,180 were taken prisoner. The Battle of Crete is commemorated every year in both Crete and New Zealand.[2] Prime Minister Helen Clark led a large party from New Zealand to Crete in May 2001 to attend the 60th anniversary of the battle. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Phil Goff, attended anniversary celebrations in May 2003 and Hon Annette King in May 2006.The war was followed by a modest wave of Greek emigration to New Zealand. In the 2006 census 2,547 people primarily identified themselves as being Greek. A bilateral Social Security Agreement came into force on 1 April 1994.
In May 2007, New Zealand hosted Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis for a short visit – the first-ever by a Greek Prime Minister to New Zealand.[3]
As part of an effort to redeploy resources in Europe, New Zealand closed its embassy in Athens in 1991, since then it has been represented in Greece through its embassy in Rome which is accredited accordingly. It does still retain an honorary consulate general in Athens, however. There are also Honorary Greek Consulates in Auckland and Wellington.[4] The Greek Embassy in Wellington opened in 1999 and suspended operations in 2015,[5] [6] after a review following the Greek government-debt crisis.[7]
The prevailing climate in political relations between Greece and New Zealand was demonstrated in 2002 by the visit of the President of the Hellenic Republic to Wellington, which confirmed the excellent state of relations between the two countries.
The social security agreement between the governments of New Zealand and Greece allows former residents of either country access to certain benefits and pensions under the other country's social security system.[8]
| Dates | Minister/Delegate | Cities visited | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2006 | Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright | Athens, Various | Official Visit |
| May 2006 | Minister of Police, Hon Annette King | Athens, Crete | Commemorate the Anniversary of the Battle of Crete |
| September 2004 | Minister of Transport, Hon Pete Hodgson | Various | Official Visit |
| August 2004 | Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon Trevor Mallard | Various | Official Visit |
| May 2003 | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Phil Goff | Athens, Crete | Commemorate the Anniversary of the Battle of Crete |
| May 2001 | Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark | Crete | Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete |
| 1998 | Governor-General, Sir Michael Hardie-Boys | Athens, Various | Official Visit |
| May 1997 | Minister of International Trade, Dr Lockwood Smith | Various | Official Visit |
| March 1992 | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Rt Hon Don McKinnon | Athens | Official Visit |
| May 1991 | Minister of Defence, Hon Warren Cooper | Athens | Official Visit |
| 1989 | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Russell Marshall | Official Visit | |
| 1989 | Minister for Overseas Trade, Rt Hon Mike Moore | Official Visit | |
| 1983 | Prime Minister, Rt Hon Robert Muldoon | Official Visit | |
Greek Ministerial Visits to New Zealand
| Dates | Minister/Delegate | Cities visited | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2007 | Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis | Wellington | Official Visit |
| June 2002 | President, Constantinos Stephanopoulos | Wellington | Official Visit |
| March 1995 | Under-secretary of National Economy and Minister for External Trade, Iannis Anthopoulos | Official Visit | |
| 1993 | Secretary of State, Byron Polydoras | Wellington | Official Visit |