By Asia Samachar | Australia |
Senior career officer Harinder Sidhu, who served as Australian high commissioner to India for four years until 2020, has been picked as the nation’s next top diplomat to New Zealand.
Harinder will serve as the high commissioner to New Zealand with whom Australia, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Senator the Hon Marise Payne announced in a statement dated March 31. She replaces Patricia Forsythe AM who has served since 2019.
The Singapore-born Harinder is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary.
She has previously served overseas as Australia’s High Commissioner to India and in Moscow and Damascus. In Canberra, she has served in DFAT in senior leadership roles, as well as in the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Office of National Assessments and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, according to the statement
Harinder holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney.
“Australia’s relationship with New Zealand is our closest and most comprehensive, and its special nature is underpinned by enduring cultural, economic, defence and sporting ties,” said Payne in the statement.
She said Australia and New Zealand stand together to meet strategic challenges and work closely to promote an open, inclusive and resilient Indo‑Pacific and the global rules‑based order.
“We are strong supporters of a multilateral trading system. We promote free, fair and predictable trade benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries and our region,” she added.
Australia and New Zealand benefit from having one of the world’s most open and successful free-trade agreements. This means our businesses and exporters face less red tape and enjoy easier access to each other’s markets. Harmonised investment rules have opened opportunities for Australian investors in New Zealand and New Zealand is one of the top ten investors in Australia, with $66.3 billion in foreign investment from New Zealand to Australia in 2020. The integration of the Australian and New Zealand economies has contributed to our countries’ economic resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, with two-way trade valued at $23.7 billion in 2020, the statement added.
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