Vanuatu Prime Minister Ham Lini will pay his first official visit to New Zealand from Feb. 17 to 20, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced on Monday.
In recent years, New Zealand and Vanuatu have enjoyed a regular program of high-level visits and exchanges. Both countries have been working together to develop a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship and supporting Vanuatu's development goals, Clark said.
The South Pacific nation of Vanuatu is New Zealand's third-largest bilateral aid partner. New Zealand currently provides 15 million NZ dollars (11.8 million U.S. dollars) to Vanuatu as part of its overseas development assistance program and this is set to increase in the future.
"A feature of Prime Minister Lini's visit will be a meeting with Ni-Vanuatu workers and their New Zealand employer at a site near Hastings," Clark said.
More than 300 Ni-Vanuatu workers are currently employed in New Zealand under the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, mostly in Central Otago and Hawke's Bay. These numbers are expected to increase significantly as the New Zealand growing season continues.
The RSE scheme was introduced in May 2007 and it offers workers from Pacific Island countries the opportunity to undertake temporary employment in the horticulture and viticulture sectors in New Zealand.
Lini has led the Vanuatu government since December 2004.
Source: Xinhua
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