INSTITUTE NOTES.

National Office and branch activities

On 22 February the 9th Track II Dialogue between the Japan Institute of International Affairs and the NZIIA was held at the Wellington Club in Wellington.

Charles Parton OBE, a former British diplomat and China expert, addressed a meeting on 'China's Activities in the United Kingdom--Influence or Interference?' on 11 March.

On 2 April the ambassador of Norway, HE Gulleik Larsen, gave a presentation on 'Can We Take on Norway in the Electric Vehicle Stakes?' He gave the same presentation at a National Office meeting in Auckland on 3 April.

Auckland

The following meetings were held:

7 Feb HE Dmytro Senik (the ambassador of Ukraine in New Zealand), 'Ukraine's Striving For A Better Future'.

13 Feb HE Dr David Vogelsanger (Switzerland's ambassador in New Zealand), 'Switzerland, at the Heart of Europe, but Outside the European Union'.

21 Mar Igor Baiazov (Russia's deputy ambassador in New Zealand), 'Situation Around Crimea: Allegations and the Reality'.

27 Mar Maire Leadbeater (peace and human rights activist), 'Justice Denied: The West Papuan Struggle for Self-Determination'. This meeting was held in association with the International Law Association.

Christchurch

On 22 February Korean ambassador HE Yeo Seung-bae addressed the branch on 'Developments on the Korean Peninsula and Korea-New Zealand Relations'.

Hawke's Bay

On 26 March HE Rodrigo Espinosa, Chile's ambassador, addressed the branch. Further meetings were held on 9 and 18 April at which addresses were given by Vangelis Vitalis, the MFAT deputy secretary responsible for trade issues, and Colin Leeman, first secretary trade policy in the British high commission in Wellington respectively.

Nelson

The following meetings were held:

20 Feb Tessa Te Mata (New Zealand's high commissioner-designate to the Cook Islands), 'The Pacific: Reset and Reality'.

14 Mar Prof Sir Malcolm Grant (New Zealand-born British educationalist and former non-executive chairman of the National Health Service England), 'Healthy Citizens are the Greatest Asset Any Country Can Have'. 11 Apr Viesturs Altments (Latvian immigrant), 'A Refugee's Story'.

Wellington

On 19 February, in conjunction with the Southeast Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence, the branch held a seminar on 'ASEAN's Future: Security, Economics and Regional Governance'. It was led by three fellows from South-east Asia: Thitinan Pongsudhirak (Thailand), Nguyen Due Thanh...