New Zealand will hope to be the cat that got the cream following trade talks with the United Kingdom, and the country's top diplomat indulged his inner animal lover during a surprisingly low-key offshore trip during the pandemic
An impromptu photo opportunity with a famous British feline has drawn attention to a rare but low-profile Covid-19 trip beyond New Zealand's borders by a senior government official.
Chris Seed, the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was photographed by media near 10 Downing Street on Tuesday morning (NZ time) as he himself took a photo with Larry the Cat, the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom.
A shot of the encounter was shared by an unofficial Twitter account run by a fan of Larry, attracting nearly 7000 likes on the social media platform.
It is by far the highest-profile moment of a multi-country diplomatic visit by Seed that has been underway for more than a week but attracted no real publicity, despite the rarity of offshore trips at a time when returning New Zealanders (chief executives included) face a 14-day stay in managed isolation facilities.
While the tour was not exactly a secret, with a number of foreign and Kiwi diplomats tweeting about his engagements, MFAT itself did not appear to release any media statements or information about it in advance of Seed's departure.
The Downing Street resident everyone wants a picture with https://t.co/lN6Hcccdwj
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 13, 2021
In a statement to Newsroom, an MFAT spokeswoman said Seed would be away from July 5 to 19, and was visiting Singapore, Berlin, London and Washington.
“Mr Seed is meeting with his counterparts in each capital in support of New Zealand’s trade recovery strategy. He will be advancing New Zealand’s interests in APEC, the Indo-Pacific region, bilateral trade issues, supply chain resilience and Covid recovery."
His meetings would also cover a range of topics on the multilateral agenda, including climate change and reinforcing the international rules-based system.
The spokeswoman said Seed was also connecting with staff in New Zealand's embassies and high commissions, "who have been working to advance New Zealand’s interests and assist New Zealanders in challenging conditions for over a year".
Trade Minister Damien O'Connor and MFAT's deputy secretary for economic and trade issues Vangelis Vitalis visited the UK last month for in-person trade talks, with both having to endure a two-week stint in MIQ upon their return.
In its annual report for the 2019/20 financial year, MFAT said the inability to travel for face-to-face engagements due to Covid had had "an immediate and fundamental impact on New Zealand’s diplomatic engagement".
"While some activities halted completely or were severely curtailed, especially in the multilateral arena, many transitioned to virtual platforms. New Zealand ministers and officials adapted rapidly to making the best use of these platforms, in particular to sustain bilateral ministerial contacts, but also for regional and multilateral engagements, trade negotiations, and even signing a treaty."
Less surprising than Seed's trip is the fact he stopped for a feline photo: when he returned to New Zealand in 2018 to take MFAT's top job after serving as the country's high commissioner in Australia, his cats Jackson and Malone also made the trip back from Canberra.
