New Zealand's next Ambassador to Spain will be career diplomat Christine Bogle, Acting Foreign Minister Simon Upton announced today.

Mr Upton said Spain had shown increasing interest in this part of the world in recent years, and New Zealand was keen to take the relationship further.

"Trade between us has grown considerably in the last five years," Mr Upton said. "Spain is a key economy in the EU; it is one of the largest consumers of seafood in the world, and a valuable market for our product. It is also taking an increasing amount of our kiwifruit, as well as lamb and dairy products."

Ms Bogle, a Spanish speaker, has previously served overseas in Lima and in Rome, where she was Deputy Head of Mission from 1992 to 1996. She joined the Foreign Ministry in 1977 and is currently Acting Director of the Foreign Ministry's International Security and Arms Control Division. She has three children.

Ms Bogle will take up her appointment early in 2000, and will also be accredited to Morocco and the Holy See. She replaces Wilbur Dovey, who will return to Wellington.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>