National Office and branch activities.

• Position: Mohsen Aminzadeh's activities

On 3 March the Director, while attending a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Business Council in Mexico City, spoke to the Mexican Institute of International Affairs on 'Mexico and New Zealand: Partners in the New Pacific'.

HE Mohsen Aminzadeh, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, addressed the NZIIA on 8 March. His topic was 'The Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Regional Developments (Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine).' (The text of his address is to be found elsewhere in this issue.)

The NZIIA joined the Institute of Policy Studies in hosting a very well attended meeting on 14 March to hear the Prime Minister of Norway, HE Kjell Magne Bondevik, speak on '100 Years of Independence--Norwegian Foreign Policy and Engagement in International Peace Processes'. (The text of his address is also carried in this issue.)

In conjunction with the Embassy of Japan and Victoria University of Wellington's Asian Studies institute, the NZIIA staged its first major seminar of the year on 22 March. The topic was 'Japan-New Zealand: Partners for the Future in the Changing Pacific'. With substantial support from the Embassy of Japan, it was possible to bring two high profile speakers from Japan.

About 100 were present to hear introductory remarks by Deputy of Secretary of Foreign Affairs John McKinnon. Dr Akiko Fukushima (Director of Policy Studies, National Institute for Research Advancement, Tokyo), then provided a valuable overview of the changing political and security situation in East Asia and an assessment of the implications for the two countries. She was followed by Daisuke Hiratsuka (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO, Tokyo), who gave an economic and trade perspective. The afternoon sessions focused discussion on specific aspects of New Zealand's interest in the links with Japan and covered trade and travel, education, cultural exchanges and people-to-people relationships. Fifteen New Zealand organisations from the private and public sectors made contributions to these discussions.

On 31 March, the Institute of Policy Studies and the NZIIA jointly hosted a meeting at Victoria...