The New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully, has named Don Higgins as New Zealand's next High Commissioner to Kiribati.
Mr Higgins has previous experience working across the Pacific, and most recently was an Advisor to the Administrator of Tokelau.
Mr McCully says the High Commissioner will be overseeing New Zealand's aid programme in Kiribati which will total about 25 million US dollars this financial year.
Mr Higgins will replace Mike Walsh.
