Soccer, samba and trade with NZ

That old Latin beat just keeps running through this Government.

Last year it buried news of $1 million for a new embassy in Brasilia among all the appropriations and tables. This year, the Government positively stood up and trumpeted its tango beat.

Weeks after Speaker Jonathan Hunt and four other MPs, Winston Peters, Rodney Hide, John Carter and Harry Dynhoven, spent 17 days touring Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Washington DC, the Government has put more money into what it call its Latin American strategy.

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said the Government would commit $7.3 million over the next four years to the new embassy in Brazil, the land of soccer, samba and shanty towns.

The embassy would boost trade, now worth $142 million and help with international affairs, he said.

"Brazil is powerful in international affairs and the presence of a mission will help New Zealand build on already good cooperation on issues such as nuclear disarmament."

Brazil, the ninth largest economy in the world with 170 million people, imports goods worth $US57 billion ($135 billion) a year - and New Zealand wants a share.

www.nzherald.co.nz/budget

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