Guest Speaker:
Grahame Morton
Deputy Secretary of MFAT
Event Date: Wednesday 5th November 2025
Event Time: 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Event Location:
Buddle Findlay
Level 17, AON Centre, 1 Willis St, Wellington, 6011.
EVENT REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL AND BY INVITATION ONLY
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Progress and reflections on NZ’s Foreign Policy Reset under the current Coalition Government’s six identified priorities that include an increasing focus and resources applied to South and Southeast Asia without losing our focus on the depth and breadth of our important relationships across North Asia.
How are we meeting the challenges we face enhancing our interests across SE Asia in a more fractious world?
RSVP: karim@dickie.org.nz by 1st November
About Grahame Morton
Grahame Morton is the Deputy Secretary – Americas and Asia Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a role he has held since January 2025.
Grahame served as Ambassador to China from 2022- 2024, and was High Commissioner to India from 2014-2017, also accredited to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. He served as New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Asia-Europe process in 2018-2019.
Grahame was Principal Advisor to the Asia and Americas Group from 2018-2020, when he was also Chair of the China Capable Public service programme. He was Director of the North Asia Division from 2009-2014.
Grahame’s earlier diplomatic postings were in Rarotonga (1999-2002) and in Beijing (2004-2008). He has also served in a relief capacity as Deputy Head of Mission in Washington. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1997. During his career he has worked on a range of policy issues including trade negotiations, Asia regional organisations and security, Pacific development, nuclear issues, disaster relief operations, and Antarctica.
Grahame has an honours degree in History from the University of Otago.
