The first High Commissioner of Bangladesh to New Zealand, Samina Naz, has presented her letter of credence to Governor General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro, reaffirming the commitment of the government of Bangladesh to taking the Bangladesh-New Zealand bilateral relations at new heights.

The letter of credence was presented at a special ceremony held at the Government House in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday.

Diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and New Zealand date back to 1972.

Recognising the growing number of expatriate Bangladeshis in New Zealand and with a view to infuse new momentum in the bilateral relations, the government of Bangladesh decided to establish a diplomatic mission in New Zealand in 2025.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Zealand is concurrently accredited to the pacific island states Samoa and Tuvalu, said the High Commission on Thursday.

Following the ceremonial proceedings, Dame Cindy Kiro extended a warm reception to High Commissioner Samina Naz and offered congratulations on her assumption of duties as the inaugural High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bangladesh to New Zealand.

In response, the High Commissioner expressed her gratitude for the gracious welcome and conveyed warm greetings from President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the people of Bangladesh.

After presenting the credentials, as per local ritual at the request of the Governor-General, the High Commissioner Samina Naz recited a poem of her own composition on Bangladesh and New Zealand friendship, much appreciated by the Governor-General and Protocol of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand.

The High Commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the government of Bangladesh to taking the Bangladesh-New Zealand bilateral relations to new heights by exploring further avenues of cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, education, sports, art and culture, people to people connectivity, shared commonwealth ties and common commitment to development, peace, human rights and climate change etc.