SEOUL, February 07 (AJP) - The New Zealand embassy in the Republic of Korea celebrated Waitangi Day, the country's national day, on Thursday at the ambassador's residence in Yongsan District. More than one hundred guests attended the event, including foreign diplomats, businesspeople, and professionals from various sectors.
Waitangi Day, celebrated on February 6, commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, marking the founding partnership of New Zealand.
Dawn Bennet, the New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, welcomed guests with the Māori proverb "Whiria te tāngata," which means "weave the people together." She explained that Waitangi Day serves as an example of what diplomacy can achieve, noting that the treaty established British governance in New Zealand while committing to give the native Māori equal status and recognizing their rights.
"I see this as an example of people from different cultures seeking to understand each other and to become partners through communication and agreement, and that is the very essence of diplomacy," Bennet said.
"It is a relationship which will continue to be close in the long term, enduring through any challenges that come our way, and our relationship will endure because it is built on the important connecting factors of people, prosperity, values, and culture. These are all strands in the tapestry that we are weaving between our two countries," Bennet said.
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