New Zealand's working holiday scheme with Chile is being extended again, this time to allow 1000 young Chileans a year to come here.
Prime Minister Helen Clark made the announcement yesterday after talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
New Zealand's working holiday scheme with Chile started in 2001
with 200 places. That has been extended each year until last year, when 500 young Chileans came here.
Helen Clark said yesterday that when applications were opened on October 1 for this year's quota, all 500 places were snapped up within three weeks.
"There's clearly a huge demand and we have made the decision to increase the number of places each year from now on to 1000."
Talks between the two leaders had covered a wide range of issues, including how to balance economic reforms with social justice and possible collaboration on climate change.
Helen Clark said the two countries were looking to take the "evolving relationship" further.
They were working to "take our economies ahead together, our science and innovation ahead together and open up more opportunities for people-to-people links".
"I believe Chile sees in New Zealand an example of a First World economy which has built its prosperity on a land-based economy and Chile has land-based industries with huge potential."
President Bachelet said the relationship, between two "like-minded" countries, was being consolidated.
The heads of New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and the Chilean equivalent, Corporacion de Formento de la Produccion, also signed an agreement yesterday to encourage business relationships between NZ and Chile.
Helen Clark said the aim was to actively promote Kiwi businesses in Chile "through investment, joint ventures, licensing agreements and so on".
President Bachelet also visited the Industrial Research crown institute.
It and Chile's National Commission for Scientific and Technical Research signed a document signalling the intention to organise a science and business colloquium.
The Prime Minister also said education links between Chile and New Zealand were being strengthened.
Next year, a New Zealand education counsellor would be appointed at the embassy in Santiago to identify education-related policies where the two countries could interact.
- NZPA
