[From the Introduction]. Today, as we mark the 60th Anniversary of 'Victory in Europe' in the Second World War, and recall New Zealand's involvement in the conflicts that wracked Europe in the last century, we need to recognise the historical significance of EU enlargement. Enlargement has had important consequences for New Zealand's interests in Europe, and our relations both with European countries and the European Union. These have been reflected in the Prime Minister opening New Zealand's Embassy in Warsaw just over two weeks ago. The Embassy will have responsibility not just for our relations with Poland, but also with the three Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which I visited in September last year. Poland was chosen for its size and relative weight. It is the largest of the new member states and the sixth largest overall
