France–New Zealand relations are the international relations between New Zealand and France. Relations between France and New Zealand have been rocky at times, but more recently have become much closer. Bilateral relations have been generally good since World War I and World War II, with both countries working closely during the conflicts, but the relationship was severely jeopardised by the sinking of the ''Rainbow Warrior'' in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on 10 July 1985 by French ''Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure'' (

DGSE The Directorate-General for External Security (, , DGSE) is France's foreign intelligence agency, equivalent to the British MI6 and the American CIA, established on 27 November 1943. The DGSE safeguards French national security through intellige ...

) agents. Relations between the two nations had been strained earlier, and in 1973 the New Zealand government suspended for a time postal relations with France. Following the French attack on the ''Rainbow Warrior'', France demanded from New Zealand to release the agents captured after the attack. To enforce their demand, the

French Government The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...

put New Zealand under fierce economic strain. Since then there has been animosity among New Zealanders towards the French, though there has been thawing as the events recede into history and France has halted nuclear tests. The New Zealand Prime Minister's official visit to France in 2003 opened a new chapter in bilateral relations, moving on from the past and focusing on rekindling both countries' ties, particularly in the South Pacific. With the exception of the transport of

nuclear material Nuclear material refers to the metals uranium, plutonium, and thorium, in any form, according to the IAEA. This is differentiated further into "source material", consisting of natural and depleted uranium, and "special fissionable material", con ...

, major political objectives are being worked-towards within the South Pacific. While the New Zealand Government seeks closer dialogue and cooperation for political and financial reasons, France wishes to encourage the integration of the communities of the Pacific into the New Zealand regional environment.

History

Relations between France and New Zealand were strained for two short periods in the 1980s and 1990s over the French nuclear tests at

Moruroa Moruroa (Mururoa, Mururura), also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is located about southeast of Tahiti. Administratively Moruroa Atoll i ...

and the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour. The latter was widely regarded as an act of

state terrorism State terrorism is terrorism conducted by a state against its own citizens or another state's citizens. It contrasts with '' state-sponsored terrorism'', in which a violent non-state actor conducts an act of terror under sponsorship of a state. ...

against New Zealand's sovereignty and was ordered by then French President

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

, although he denied any involvement at the time. These events worked to strengthen New Zealand's resolve to retain its anti-nuclear policy. But relations had been cordial in the decades prior to the ''Rainbow Warrior'' incident, epitomised by New Zealand's swift reaction in both World Wars, siding both times with allied forces.

World War I

The

New Zealand government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...

entered into the war without hesitation, despite its geographic isolation and small population. In France, the New Zealand Division participated in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

, where they advanced three kilometres and captured eight kilometres of enemy front line. 7,048 had become casualties, of whom 1,560 were killed. In June 1917, the New Zealand Division further distinguished itself in the storming of Messines ridge and the capture of the village of Messines. During the fighting at Passchendaele in the following October, however, it was bloodily repulsed in its second attack, with 850 dead in exchange for no more than 500 yards of ground gained. This was the first time the division had failed in a major operation and remains the worst disaster in New Zealand's history in terms of lives lost in a single day.

World War II

New Zealand entered the Second World War by declaring war on

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

at 9.30 pm 3 September 1939 (

NZT Time in New Zealand is divided by law into two standard time zones. The main islands use New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), 12 hours in advance of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) / military M (Mike), while the outlying Chatham Islands use C ...

). Diplomatically, New Zealand had expressed vocal opposition to fascism in Europe and also to the appeasement of Fascist dictatorships. New Zealand participated heavily in many European campaigns, including the

Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...

and the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...

and especially in the Italian Campaign, and

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...

personnel took part in fighting in France during 1940 (as part of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

) and 1944.

French Indochina

During the French War in

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

(Modern-day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) in 1952 and 1954, New Zealand provided from its obsolete and surplus but serviceable military stocks, a selection of military equipment for the French Forces in Indochina, including; * 43000 Rifles * 1350 Machine Guns * 670000 Rounds of Small Arms Ammunition * 10000 Rounds of 40mm Armour Piercing shot * 500 Revolvers * 50 Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns and ammunition * Wireless Sets * Field Telephones * Charging sets * Various Uniform Items

Maritime Delimitation Agreement

The New Zealand–France Maritime Delimitation Agreement was signed on 30 June 2003. As a

boundary delimitation Electoral boundary delimitation (or simply boundary delimitation or delimitation) is the drawing of boundaries of electoral precincts and related divisions involved in elections, such as Federated state, states, counties or other municipalities ...

agreement, it established the

maritime boundary A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of Earth's water surface areas using physiographical or geopolitical criteria. As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources,VLIZ Maritime Boun ...

between

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, an ...

and

Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (), is a French island territorial collectivity, collectivity in the Oceania, South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga t ...

The "FRANZ" agreement

The FRANZ agreement was signed on 22 December 1992 by dignitaries of France, Australia & New Zealand. It commits its signatories to "exchange information to ensure the best use of their assets and other resources for relief operations after cyclones and other natural disasters in the region". While cyclones remain the chief natural disaster across the South Pacific, FRANZ has in practice been an effective system against the wide range of disasters experienced in the region. The FRANZ Agreement applies to South Pacific and includes Australia, the

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...

Nauru Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies within the Micronesia subregion of Oceania, with its nearest neighbour being Banaba (part of ...

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Niue Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. One of the world's largest coral islands, Niue is c ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...

, and others decided on a case-by-case basis.

Christchurch Call

In the wake of the

Christchurch mosque shootings Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...

on 15 March 2019, New Zealand Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician and activist who was the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was ...

and French President

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...

co-hosted the Christchurch Call to Action Summit in May 2019, which pledged to counter violent extremism on the Internet.

Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior

Codenamed ''Operation Satanic'', the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior took place in New Zealand's

Auckland Harbour Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

on 10 July 1985. It was an attack carried out by French

agents aimed at sinking the flagship craft of the

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...

Organization to stop her from interfering in a nuclear test by the French Government at Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. Greenpeace was opposed to testing and had planned to lead a flotilla of yachts to the atoll to protest against the test, including an incursion into French military zones. The incident occurred late at night when two agents Captain

Dominique Prieur Dominique Prieur (born 1949) is a French military officer who was convicted of manslaughter over her part in the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior. Biography Prieur joined the military in 1974 and was recruited as a secret agent in August 1977. ...

and Commander Alain Mafart attached two

Limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...

s to the hull of the ship and detonated them 10 minutes apart. The attack resulted in the death of Greenpeace photographer

Fernando Pereira Fernando Pereira (10 May 1950 – 10 July 1985) was a Portuguese-Dutch freelance photographer, who drowned when French intelligence ( DGSE) detonated a bomb and sank the ''Rainbow Warrior'', owned by the environmental organisation Greenpeace o ...

and lead to a huge uproar over the first ever attack on New Zealand Sovereignty. The act sparked one of the most intense police investigations in New Zealand history and eventually led to the capture of both Mafart and Prieur passing themselves off as "Sophie and Alain Turenge." Both pleaded guilty to

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

and were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on 22 November 1985. France threatened an economic

embargo Economic sanctions or embargoes are commercial and financial penalties applied by states or institutions against states, groups, or individuals. Economic sanctions are a form of coercion that attempts to get an actor to change its behavior throu ...

of New Zealand's exports to the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

if the pair were not immediately released. Such an action would have been crippling to the New Zealand economy which at that time was heavily dependent on agricultural exports to Britain. ''Operation Satanic'' was a

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

disaster. New Zealand was an ally of France. France initially denied any involvement, and even joined in condemnation of it as a terrorist act. This act of

state-sponsored terrorism State-sponsored terrorism is terrorist violence carried out with the active support of national governments provided to violent non-state actors. It contrasts with '' state terrorism'', which is carried out directly by state actors. States can ...

badly strained bilateral relations and in July 1986, a United Nations-sponsored mediation between New Zealand and France resulted in the transfer of the two prisoners to the French Polynesian island of

Hao Hao or HAO may refer to: People * Hao (surname) (Chinese: ) * Hao (given name) * Hao (video gamer), Chinese professional ''Dota 2'' player * Heather O'Reilly, Professional soccer player Places * Hao (city), or Haojing (), capital of the Wes ...

, to serve three years instead, as well as an apology and a NZD 13 million payment from France to New Zealand.

Sport

The

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

and

national

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

have been playing each other for over a century. Since their first match, in January 1906 in Paris, and January 2008, they have played 46

Test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Indoor cricket, Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (associa ...

. The historic 1906 match, which France lost 38–8, was the first ever French Test but it was not until 1954 (when they won 3–0) that they were able to secure their first win over the New Zealanders. Then the Second World War intervened, suspending competition. In 1946, France played two matches against the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

's Kiwis, losing both matches. France first toured New Zealand in 1961before any of the home nations.Palenski (2003), pg 51. – and the All Blacks won all three Tests. Overall the All Blacks have won 34 Tests, France 11, with one drawn. France and the All Blacks met in the final of the

inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

. The tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia and the final was held at

Eden Park Eden Park is a sports venue in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located three kilometres southwest of the Auckland CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland. The main stadium has a nominal capacity of 50,000, and is s ...

. The All Blacks were captained by

David Kirk David Edward Kirk (born 5 October 1960) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. Early years Kirk was born in Wellington an ...

and went on to win their first World Cup 29–9. According to the All Blacks' coach at the time,

Brian Lochore Sir Brian James Lochore (3 September 1940 – 3 August 2019) was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach who represented and captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He played at Rugby union positions#Number Eight, number 8 a ...

, the previous year's loss in

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

was the catalyst for their World Cup victory.Smith (2006) Shelford said of the match "We wanted to play them in the final because we wanted revenge".Kayes (2006) The match also helped improve the diplomatic and political rift between France and New Zealand caused by the 1985

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

of the ''Rainbow Warrior'' by

French Secret Service French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), a ...

agents.Dine (2001), pg 136. The

Dave Gallaher Trophy The Dave Gallaher Trophy is a rugby union perpetual trophy contested between and . It is named after Dave Gallaher, the 1905–06 All Black captain who was killed in Belgium during World War I. History When it comes to rugby, France and New ...

was introduced in 2000 to be contested between the two teams. It was named in memory of All Blacks captain

Dave Gallaher David Gallaher (30October 1873 – 4October 1917) was an Irish-born New Zealand rugby union footballer best remembered as the captain of the " Original All Blacks"—the 1905–06 New Zealand national team, the first representative New Zealan ...

who captained the All Blacks against France in 1906 and who died at the

Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies of World War I, Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front (World Wa ...

during World War I. The Cup was first contested on

Armistice Day Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark Armistice of 11 November 1918, the armistice signed between th ...

(11 November) 2000. The All Blacks won 39–26 and scored two tries while Andrew Mehrtens scored nine penalties."344th All Black Test" France hosted the 2007 World Cup, and the two teams met in the tournament quarter-finals. Despite France hosting the tournament the match was held at the

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Wales. The match was won by France 20–18, and involved several controversial decisions by referee

Wayne Barnes Wayne Barnes (born 20 April 1979) is a retired English international rugby union referee. He was a frequent referee in the English Premiership, and refereed games in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. At international level, Bar ...

,Gower (2007) who subsequently received death threats from some New Zealand fans. France scored one try after the sin binning of All Blacks second five-eighth

Luke McAlister Charles Luke McAlister (born 28 August 1983 in Waitara, New Zealand, Waitara) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played at Fly-half (rugby union), fly-half and at Centre (rugby union), centre. He is the brother of New Zealand w ...

, and another from a forward pass unseen by the referee.Barnes (2007) The All Blacks were strongly criticised for not attempted a drop goal in the game's final minutes.Rattue (2007) Their performance was analysed by

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...

based company

Verusco Verusco Technologies is a company based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. They supply video analysis software and statistics to rugby union teams, including the Super Rugby franchise the Blue Bulls, most South African professional teams and o ...

who had analysed 1,500 games since 2000. They discovered that the All Blacks made 57 tackles to Frances' 269, and they had 66 percent possession and 60 percent territory. The playing time, that is time the ball is in play, was the longest of any game Verusco had ever recorded.Lampp (2007) France and New Zealand met in the final of the 2011 World Cup, held in New Zealand. New Zealand won their second World Title 8–7 in a tightly fought battle.

Trade and investment

New Zealand and France have been very large trading partners in recent years, with France being New Zealand 15th Largest Trading Partner for 2007 with exports totalling NZD$401.3 million (mainly: Sheepmeat,

fish fillet A fish fillet, from the French word () meaning a ''thread'' or ''strip'', is the flesh of a fish which has been cut or sliced away from the bone by cutting lengthwise along one side of the fish parallel to the backbone. In preparation for fille ...

venison Venison refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

and medicaments) and imports totalling NZD$679.6 million (mainly:

Motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on railway track, rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such ...

s, wine and

machinery A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolec ...

equipment). France has numerous and some large, investments in the New Zealand economy, particularly in New Zealands wine industry which include

Veuve Clicquot Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin () is a Champagne house founded in 1772 and based in Reims. It is one of the largest Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, Madame Clicquot is credited with major breakthroughs, creating the first known Champag ...

, Deutz which is very similar to the wine industry in France.

Yoplait Yoplait ( , ) is a French dessert company and the world's largest franchise brand of yogurt. It is fully owned by the French dairy cooperative Sodiaal since 2021. In North America, the Canadian subsidiary was taken over by Sodiaal in 2025. Th ...

is a major company in New Zealand having one of the most well-known

yoghurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its tex ...

brands in the New Zealand agri-food sector. Other major French investments have been made in New Zealand's transport and communications sector (

Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...

Alcatel Alcatel SA was a French industrial conglomerate active between 1963 and 2006. It has roots to ''Compagnie Générale d’Electricité'' (CGE), a conglomerate founded in 1898 as an early state owned cable and telephone equipment company that lat ...

) and

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...

(ONYX)

Military co-operation

There have been various campaigns where New Zealand and France have fought alongside one another, more prominently World War I and World War II. New Zealand and France also participate regularly in

war games A normal wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to st ...

, mainly in the Pacific Ocean, off the New Zealand coast. These games also include in Australia. This increase in military cooperation has warmed relations in both nations, with ''Jeanne d'Arc'''s, Captain Phillippe Combes saying of the March 2001 exercise: "During the period of the French nuclear tests we were embarrassed to come into this region, but since they have halted we are seen with a more benevolent eye and are welcomed everywhere we go." These games included both

RNZN The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...

warships and

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an in ...

warplanes and, in accordance with New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, French nuclear submarine FNS ''Perle'', highlighting increased military co-operation in the Pacific between the three countries. Craft involved in the 2001 wargame: * HMNZS ''Te Kaha'' * HMA Ships ''Brisbane'', ''Melbourne'', ''Anzac'', ''Arunta'', ''Huon'', ''Norman'', and ''Success'' * FN Ships , ''Jeanne d'Arc'', and ''Georges Leygues'' Simulated attacks on the ships were also carried out, in order to test anti-aircraft defence systems, by

Skyhawks Skyhawk may refer to: Aircraft and military * Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a single-engine, four-seat light airplane * Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, a ground-attack jet aircraft * Seibel S-4, a helicopter evaluated by the United States Army under the designation ...

and

RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...

Hornets Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to yellowjackets, their close relatives. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by ...

. Commanding officer of the Vendémiaire Olivier Beauchêne stated: "This is the first time the French Navy takes part in this kind of exercise, and at this level, with

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

and

armies. This is evidence of the good quality of relations between the three countries." Since the mid-'90s, the armed forces of France, Australia and New Zealand have been co-operating on maritime surveillance of the small island states of the region.

Bilateral representation

There are many official contacts between New Zealand and the French Republic, which provide the opportunity for high-level discussions and the continued development of bilateral relations. Many ministers meet with their French counterparts at international meetings and events.

French tours by New Zealand delegates and ministers

New Zealand Ministerial Visits to France

New Zealand tours by French delegates

French delegations to New Zealand

Resident diplomatic missions

* France has an embassy in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

. * New Zealand has an embassy in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and a consulate-general in

Nouméa Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French Sui generis collectivity, special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest Francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main i ...

.Embassy of New Zealand in Paris
/ref> File:French Embassy in Wellington.jpg, Embassy of France in Wellington File:Télégraphe de Chappe Paris 7e 001.jpg, Embassy of New Zealand in Paris

Notes and references

External links

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
– Official Website
New Zealand / France Relations on MFAT.gov.nz

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
– Official Website

* http://english.francenz.com {{DEFAULTSORT:France - New Zealand Relations

Bilateral relations of New Zealand