HRH The Crown Princess' speech at dinner with the Mayor of Wellington

Wellington Club, Wellington, Nya Zeeland

(The spoken version shall take precedence)

Your Worship,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Kia ora!

Thank you, Your Worship, for your kind words and for inviting us to this delightful dinner.

Your Worship, let me begin with conveying my sincere sympathy to all those affected by the extreme weather over the past weeks.
We have been following the reports from around the country with deep concern. Being here today is therefore even more meaningful. Thank you!

Earlier today we had the pleasure of visiting Zealandia Ecosanctuary. The Prince and I both share a passion for the outdoors, and we were so impressed with the beauty of the valley. We applaud you, Your Worship, and the Wellingtonian peoples’ dedication to preserving New Zealand’s extraordinary and unique ecosystems. Your focus to protect biodiversity is commendable. Here, with your Ecosanctuary, we get to understand that loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today.

I believe we need to gain a deeper knowledge about our complex ecosystems, and a broader understanding of how very fragile they are. In Wellington you provide us with this knowledge – and hopefully help us make the right decisions for the future.

Like is the case here in New Zealand, Sweden – with its private sector and universities – attaches great weight to the challenge of speeding up the green transition.

Innovative solutions are being developed, aimed at building long-term prosperity, and improving the welfare of our citizens, and of the world at large. I believe this joint focus is one of the many areas where we benefit from close cooperation.

We are visiting New Zealand in times of rising global tensions. The economic turmoil has hit the vulnerable countries the most and food insecurity is on the rise in many places. In times like these, we look to New Zealand and see a close friend and partner with similar views on the importance of trade, sustainability, research, and innovation.

And we see a country with a welcome net surplus in its food exports. This wonderful dinner has contributed to our understanding of why the produce of New Zealand is so sought after across the globe.

Once again, the Prince and I, and our delegation, want to thank Your Worship for this dinner and for our time in this lovely city.

Thank you!