Chris Carter

Labour's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Chris Carter, has congratulated Ivo Josipović and his Social Democratic Party on their landslide victory in Croatia's presidential election.

"Croatian voters have given Mr Josipović a clear majority and a mandate to move their country forward towards European Union membership as early as 2012," Mr Carter said.

"I'm looking forward to engaging with Croatia's new administration in my role as Labour's Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs. Croatia's constitution makes the President an architect of that country's diplomacy. Labour subscribes to the same political philosophy as the Croatian Social Democrats.

"In 2008 our Labour Government streamlined visa application processes for Croatians wanting to visit New Zealand. This helped to ameliorate a longstanding issue in the bilateral relationship.

"As Croatia progresses towards EU membership we can build on our existing strong person-to-person linkages," Mr Carter said.

"New Zealand and Croatia share a special bond of kinship, with more than 100,000 Kiwis tracing their ancestry to the region.

"People of Croatian descent have contributed enormously to building modern New Zealand. Today the community is visible through its success and leadership in business, wine and fisheries, local government, sport and the arts. My colleague, Labour MP and former Minister, Shane Jones, is of Croatian heritage. While in Government, as Ethnic Affairs Minister, I invited New Zealand's Croatian and Dalmatian communities into our Parliament to mark and celebrate 150 years of Croatian settlement in this country.

"I know that today New Zealand Croatians will be celebrating another successful democratic election in Croatia," Mr Carter said. "The New Zealand Labour Party joins them in congratulating Croatia's citizens on their election of a new President, and we extend to Ivo Josipović the best wishes for his term in office," Mr Carter said.