Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Singapore and New Zealand Usen Suleimen presented his credentials to New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.
Reddy noted symbolism of holding the ceremony on the threshold of the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and New Zealand, stressing warm and friendly character of the bilateral interaction, Interfax reported.
Before presenting the credentials, the Kazakh Ambassador was invited to join a traditional welcome ceremony with the participation of the representatives of New Zealand’s Māori tribe. The Ambassador was greeted with haka ritual dance and hongi gesture.
The haka is a traditional dance from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment. A hongi is a traditional Māori greeting. It is done by pressing one's nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person at an encounter.
