Former Shanghai consul-general gets plum Spanish role.

New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Spain is career diplomat Michael Swain.

“As a key member of the European Union, Spain is an important partner for New Zealand and there is scope to develop our trade and economic relationships,” Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.  “We also share political and security interests with Spain, notably through our involvement in Afghanistan. Michael’s wide foreign policy experience makes him eminently suitable for meeting the challenges of this role.”

Swain has previously served in Shanghai, Beijing and New Delhi.