PRESS RELEASE: Nepali Business Leaders Hold High-level Meetings With the Leaders of the Two Largest Political Parties of New Zealand

8 October 2026, Auckland Business Leaders from the New Zealand Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NZCC) met with the former Ministers of the New Zealand National Party and New Zealand Labour Party, the two largest political parties of New Zealand. The New Zealand National Party is the current ruling party, and the New Zealand Labour Party is the current Opposition Party of New Zealand. The meetings were held at a critical time to discuss key policies of the two largest parties right before the upcoming New Zealand general election being held on 7th November 2026. One of the two parties will form the next government of New Zealand after the general election. On 7th October 2026, the NZNCC leaders held a high-level discussion with Hon Melissa Lee at her office in Epsom, Auckland. Hon Lee is an incumbent Member of the Parliament of New Zealand. Hon Lee served as Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Ethnic Communities, and Minister for Media and Communications. Hon Lee has been a Member of the New Zealand Parliament since 2008. On 8th October 2026, another high-level meeting was held with Hon Phil Twyford at Central Auckland. Hon Twyford is a senior leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. He is a Member of Parliament for Te Atatū, an electorate based in West Auckland. Hon Twyford’s previous Ministerial portfolio includes Minister of Transport, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Minister of Economic Development, and Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control. He is Labour Party’s spokesperson for Immigration, Disarmament and Arms Control, Associate Foreign Affairs. Hon Twyford has been a Member of the New Zealand Parliament since 2008. At both engagements meetings, the key agenda were Trade and Business, Immigration, Foreign Affairs and Education. The discussion mainly focussed on the policies of the parties in the upcoming election in those important topics. Potential areas of Government to Government and Business to Business bilateral economic cooperation between Nepal and New Zealand were explored. In immigration, the discussion revolved around Skilled Migrants coming from Nepal to New Zealand. In the education sector, the areas of possible collaboration among the NZNCC, Education New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry of Education were explored. Both former Ministers offered solidarity to enable the NZNCC’s initiatives in the key topics discussed at the high-level engagements. The leaders made a commitment to continue engaging with the NZNCC in the future despite the outcome of the general election next month. Mr Raj Maharjan, President of the NZNCC said, ‘over the past three years, the NZNCC has been making a deliberate effort to change the narrative around the bilateral relations between Nepal and New Zealand’. ‘Instead of continuing ring-fencing the bilateral co-operation between the two nations within the narrow sphere of humanitarian support and aid, the NZNCC keenly lobbies with stakeholders in New Zealand to explore a new direction in the areas of Trade and Business between the two nations’, he said. The NZNCC continues to engage with the wider New Zealand stakeholders - business as well as government - in the areas that matter to the wider Nepali population living in New Zealand. The two Ministerial-level engagements held this week are only a few examples of such on-going high-level engagements initiated by the NZNCC. Mr Maharjan further said, ‘guided by the principles of Economic Diplomacy, the NZNCC will continue to engage at a higher level - governmental and private sector - to further the bilateral economic relations between Nepal and New Zealand.’ The NZNCC team of the engagements was represented by Mr Raj Maharjan, President; Mr Ronit Shrestha, Vice-President; Ms Aarati Giri, Executive Member and Mr Prabin Yonzon, Executive Member.