Independence Day of New Zealand is celebrated with great fervor and zeal by the citizens of the country. Officially, February 6 is observed as the Independence Day throughout New Zealand and is celebrated as “Waitangi Day.” The country considers this celebration a day of thanksgiving in commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6, 1840 between the Maoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and the British Crown.

New Zealand has an internationally competitive, market-oriented economy. There is a strong focus on international trade, with exported good and services accounting for a third of total output.

The country underwent radical economic restructuring in the 1980s and 1990s to increase competitiveness.

Reforms included the removal of subsidies, tariffs and price controls; the floating of the exchange rate; the abolition of controls on capital movement; and the privatization of many state assets. In recent times, government policy has shifted to a focus on encouraging growth through innovation and creativity. A stable political environment, educated workforce, and the absence of corruption make New Zealand attractive to foreign investments. New Zealand’s open economy is known for being one of the world’s most free market capitalist economies. Agriculture forms the backbone of the export industry, with dairy products accounting for 21 percent of total merchandise, followed by meat (13.2 percent), fruit (3.5 percent), and fishing (3.3 percent).

The Philippines and New Zealand share a continuing commitment to social and economic development, regional security cooperation, and inter-faith dialogue. This shared commitment is bolstered by mutual participation in various regional and multilateral forums such as the Pacific Islands Forum, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Southwest Pacific Dialogue.

The Philippines is one of New Zealand’s top trading partners and its biggest trading partner among ASEAN member countries. The Philippines is a reliable source of computer and electronic parts for New Zealand’s information technology sector, and a large export market for New Zealand’s dairy products.

We congratulate the people and government of New Zealand led by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, H.E., Governor-General Anand Satyanand, and H.E., Prime Minister John Key, and its Embassy in the Philippines, headed by H.E., Ambassador Andrew Graeme Matheson, on the occasion of their National Day.