Europe's man in city

Michalis Rokas has been touring New Zealand regional centres, including Napier, Tauranga, Rotorua and Hamilton.

A European Union delegate has been getting a feel for Rotorua while looking for economic development opportunities in the city.

Michalis Rokas, the European Union's charge d'affaires for New Zealand, spent two days in Rotorua this week, meeting Mayor Steve Chadwick and industry leaders to study opportunities and potential issues faced by the city in relation to the European market.

Mrs Chadwick said they looked at Rotorua as a spa city, discussed opportunities for exporting wood and manuka honey, and talked about relationships with iwi.

"We also discussed the Rotorua and Queenstown air link, as it is incredibly important for us to strengthen South Island passage."

Mrs Chadwick said the meeting was about forming partnerships for future opportunities.

Mr Rokas has been touring New Zealand regional centres, including Napier, Tauranga, Rotorua and Hamilton. He left Rotorua for Palmerston North yesterday.

He said: "Rotorua is a favourite destination for a lot of Europeans, so it is very important to maintain positive relations and follow Rotorua's progress.

"The European Union has an important role to play in bringing together partners around the world to achieve lasting peace and stability."