AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Neither region contains any key bilateral partnerships for New Zealand, nor comes close to matching the Asia Pacific region for importance - but New Zealand does have (different, limited) interests in both regions.

Africa

Commonwealth ties.....

• Common elements in our histories, working together on Commonwealth projects and shared objectives (such as the good governance goals of the Harare Declaration) are the basis for New Zealand's closest links on the African continent, with the Commonwealth African nations.

• South Africa is emerging as a pivotal state in Southern Africa. New Zealand's bilateral relationship with South Africa has strengthened significantly since the transition to non-racial, democratic rule began in 1990, and the lifting of sanctions took place in 1993 and 1994. Commonwealth ties are at the heart of the political relationship, along with New Zealand support for the anti-apartheid movement. The trading relationship is promising - New Zealand exports have more than trebled over the past decade - but it is too early to confirm that this trend will be sustained.

...and good international citizenship objectives shape our involvement

• New Zealand's global objectives - of being a good international citizenship, of standing up for the interests of small states, and of promoting peace and security and the rule of law - are served by carefully targeted involvement in humanitarian, development and peacekeeping work on the African continent.

• In 1999, one fifth of our emergency and disaster relief funding was allocated to relief projects in Africa. NZ$2.41 million was also allocated to bilateral development assistance projects in Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique.

• Two NZDF personnel are stationed with the Mozambique Accelerated Demining Programme, providing training in mine-clearing techniques. Two NZDF officers are serving with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone.

The Middle East

The region's peace and security is economically as well as politically important to us.

• New Zealand is heavily dependent on the Middle East for oil supplies. A significant deterioration in Middle East peace and security has the potential to have a major impact on our energy supplies and, therefore, our economic position.

• New Zealand contributes along with other nations to United Nations peace and security efforts in the region. An Army officer is stationed at the Combined Joint Task-Force headquarters, Kuwait. 26 personnel are serving with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai desert between Egypt and Israel. Seven military observers are working with the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Participation in the UN verification and monitoring mission in Iraq (UNSCOM) was a major New Zealand commitment in the 1990s. New Zealand has also over the 1995-1999 period contributed to the Multinational Interception Force (MIF) in the Gulf, which polices the arms embargo against Iraq (three frigate deployments and the stationing of one boarding party.)

New Zealand has important emerging markets in the region.

• The Middle East also contains some valuable, growing markets for New Zealand exports - Middle Eastern countries tend to be food deficient and to have the money (from oil) to pay for imports. Positive bilateral links need to be maintained with these markets, principally Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, as well as a couple of the GCC countries. New Zealand exporters are working hard to exploit markets for consultancy and education services, and niche technologies in the region.

What does this mean for New Zealand security policy?

• While our resources are limited, New Zealand can make a real contribution to promoting good governance and alleviating the plight of vulnerable populations in Africa, particularly through active United Nations and Commonwealth involvement.

• This ability to make a real contribution is due in part to the high regard in which NZDF personnel are held, for their expertise and peacekeeping experience.

• While the Government continues to want to contribute to humanitarian and good governance activities in Africa, the maintenance of military expertise and relevant military assets will be required.

• In the Middle East, similarly, relevant military expertise and assets can help meet New Zealand's objectives of promoting and maintaining regional peace and security (as both a good international citizen and a nation with significant economic interests in the region) through collective security work.

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