The Auckland chapter of the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) hosted a reception for New Zealand’s High Commissioner designate to India, Jan Henderson, at the National Bank Tower in downtown Auckland last week.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully announced Ms Henderson’s appointment in late July. She will succeed current High Commissioner Rupert Holborow at the end of this year and take office early next year and will be cross-accredited to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Ms Henderson is currently Director of the Environment Division and has previously served in several diplomatic positions around the world.
Speaking at the reception, Ms Henderson said she looked forward to working in India especially at such an important juncture in the relationship of the two countries when there was a sense of anticipation about the proposed Free Trade Agreement.
While she was realistic about the time frames for the FTA, she said she would do everything she could to work with both governments to hasten the process in consultation with all stakeholders.
Two-way trade with India passed the $1 billion mark in 2009, with exports growing to $709 million, making India New Zealand’s eleventh largest market. Indian tourists and students are also increasingly choosing New Zealand as a destination, with over 26,000 visitors and nearly 9000 students coming here last year.
Admitting she was new to India, she said she was aware of the challenges. She elaborated on her own background and experience outlining the work she had done in her diplomatic capacities around the world.
She told Indian Weekender she would closely follow developments in education, agriculture, dairy and transportation sectors in the run up to the India FTA.
Ms Henderson has been Ambassador to Turkey and Jordan and has worked in Washington DC as political counsel, in Honiara in the Solomon Islands as Deputy High Commissioner and in Bangkok as the second secretary of the New Zealand mission in Thailand.
INZBC chairman Wenceslaus Anthony welcomed the gathering and introduced Ms Henderson. Patricia Reade was the MC for the evening.
Visiting IT professional from the United States Naveen Gupta gave a brief presentation of the new options available in communications technology that could help businesses stay connected across geographic areas and time zones. Mr Gupta is design architect at networking equipment giant Cisco USA.
Several prominent businesspeople and community leaders attended the reception. ANZ Bank Head of Indian Segment Sunil Kaushal welcomed the gathering.