German Army Chief welcomed to Wellington

Lieutenant General Mais and his delegation were welcomed to the war memorial by a Ngāti Tūmatauenga pōwhiri, with the German Army Chief accepting the wero (challenge) laid down by members of the NZ Army’s Māori Cultural Group.

He was then joined by New Zealand’s Chief of Army, Major General Rose King, as they both laid wreaths at Pukeahu.

NZ Army’s Major General Rose King and Lieutenant General Mais laid wreaths during a morning ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial

“It’s been special to welcome Lieutenant General Mais and his team to Wellington, and particularly to be able to share an insight into both New Zealand culture and that of Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army. We have a very close relationship with our German partners, particularly when we consider some of the United Nations deployments we’ve jointly contributed to over the years, and more recently in the broader efforts of supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion.”

Following the pōwhiri, Lieutenant General Mais and his team were taken to the Advanced Command and Staff College at Trentham Military Camp, before returning to Defence House for a series of briefs and roundtable discussions on various projects within the New Zealand Army.

Both Chiefs of Army exchanges gifts during the visit.

Major General King said having these opportunities to discuss both Armies’ priorities, challenges and successes was incredibly valuable.

New Zealand and German Army delegations come together for roundtable discussions at Defence House.

“You often find during the course of these talks that likeminded militaries around the world are facing similar challenges and situations, and so the opportunity to work together for collective benefit is huge. In terms of our area of operations and scale, there are plenty of differences between our armies and how we train – but scratch beneath the surface and through talks like we’ve had this week, and actually you see just how much we have in common.”