In Memoriam
The NZUS Council is greatly saddened by the death of the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. James B. Bolger, ONZ who was Chairman of the New Zealand – United States Council from 2004 to 2014, having previously served as New Zealand Ambassador to the USA from 1998-2002.
During his decade leading the NZUS Council Mr Bolger oversaw the successful delivery of five United States – New Zealand Partnership Forums. These events played a key role in the normalization of relations between New Zealand and the United States.
In his eleventh and final report to the 2014 Council Annual General Meeting, Mr Bolger said:
“It has been a privilege to have been at the helm of this organization for the last decade. The relationship between our two countries is quite different today from that in 2003. In my mind the relationship between New Zealand and the US began to recalibrate in 1995 when I met with President Clinton and his senior colleagues at the White House. This was the first meeting between the country’s leaders following the rift created by the anti-nuclear policy in the early eighties.
In the course of our work the relationship between the two countries has moved from being referred to as “very very very close friends” to “the new normal”. Exchanges of people and information across all spheres of the relationship, and particularly at senior levels in diplomacy and defence, are commonplace and collegial.
The steady progress made in the warming and ‘normalising’ of the relationship has been helped in no small part by the Partnership Forum process devised by the NZUS Council and its Washington counterpart. Without doubt, the success of the Partnership Forums is one of the highlights of my tenure.
In my report last year I noted that the relationship is at an all-time high. I am enormously proud of the work the Council has done over the last twelve years to contribute to level of normality and warmth in our dealings today. I am quite convinced that with the higher levels of trust, respect and openness that exist there is a solid platform for cooperation to deliver pragmatic outcomes across all areas of our relationship in the future not just in trade and investment, but also defence and security and in humanitarian, science and research and cultural endeavours.”
We remember Jim Bolger for his service to New Zealand and for the important contribution he made to the bilateral relationship with the United States, and for the vision, wisdom and warmth he brought to the NZUS Council. We continue to build on his legacy. Rest in Peace Mr Bolger and thank you for your service.
Mr Bolger in March 1995 when he visited the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC as Prime Minister. The photo is with Executive Director Fiona Cooper when she was First Secretary at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC. The New Zealand Ambassador Dr John Wood CNZM QSO is also pictured.