Foreign Minister Winston Peters has appointed two new heads of mission, naming Georgina Roberts as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Aramiro Tai Rākena as Ambassador to Brazil.

The postings cover two very different but significant relationships. Papua New Guinea is a core Pacific partner, where the High Commissioner leads work on political engagement, development cooperation and regional security. Brazil is Latin America’s largest economy and an important counterpart on trade and global forums, with the ambassador based in Brasília.

High Commissioner is the title used for representatives to fellow Commonwealth countries such as Papua New Guinea; Ambassador is used elsewhere.

The announcement did not include start dates or biographies for the appointees. Dispatch Desk has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for timing and background details, including the length of terms and previous roles.