Throughout the year, the Governor-General welcomes new foreign ambassadors and high commissioners to the country in a ceremony with a distinctively New Zealand character. Following a cultural welcome by members of the New Zealand Defence Force, heads of mission then move inside Government House to formally present their credentials (a letter from their head of state appointing them as diplomatic representative) to the Governor-General.
On this beautiful Wellington morning, Dame Cindy received the credentials for four new heads of mission, marking the start of their mandates: HE Mr Stanislav Krans, Ambassador of the Russian Federation; HE Mr Chung Byung-ha, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea; HE Mr Abu Bakar, High Commissioner of Malaysia; and HE Pedro Terra, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
To find more images from this morning's ceremony, please visit Credentials ceremony 1 July 2026 AM.