International relations

Palmerston North, affectionately known as Palmy, is a growing hub of international activity and networks. We are home to world-class education and research institutes and many businesses engaged in global trade. With over 130 languages spoken in our community, we welcome students from all over the world.

Our global connections are part of what makes Palmy a great place to live. Palmerston North City Council plays a key role in helping our city continue to become more internationally connected, competitive, and vibrant. We achieve this in a number of ways.

We work to build strong relationships with Embassies, High Commissions and other organisations including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sister Cities New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Asia NZ Foundation. The Mayor and Council also formally welcome international visitors who have economic, social or cultural significance for the city.

We build relationships and cooperation with cities around the world where we share common interests.

These relationships - often referred to as sister cities, friendship cities or strategic partnerships - help us to extend and strengthen the networks that support our regional needs and priorities.

In Palmy, many of our international partnerships support priority sectors such as education, agribusiness, and food science. You can read more about our international city partnerships below.