Vangelis Vitalis

Vangelis Vitalis is Deputy Secretary, Trade and Economic. He is New Zealand’s Chief Negotiator who led the conclusion of negotiations for the New Zealand European Union Free Trade Agreement (EUNZFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (MNZFTA). He was also a member of the negotiating teams for the New Zealand-China FTA and the P4 Agreement.

Vangelis was also the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Chair for New Zealand’s host year in 2021 which established the APEC Aotearoa Plan of Action(external link) – APEC’s programme of work for the coming two decades. Vangelis was also the CPTPP SOM Chair for New Zealand’s host year in 2023 which oversaw the accession of the United Kingdom and the establishment of the Auckland Principles [PDF, 527 KB] which guide and inform the process for CPTPP members to consider accession requests.

Prior to taking up his role in Wellington in 2017, Vangelis was New Zealand’s Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva where he chaired the agriculture negotiations in a personal capacity. In this role he helped draft the text of the historic Nairobi WTO Ministerial Decision(external link) to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Vangelis has also been New Zealand’s Ambassador to the European Union and NATO in Brussels and has had postings to Canberra and Moscow.

In his role as Deputy Secretary, Vangelis also had management oversight of the conclusion of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the UK-NZ FTA, the FTA upgrades with China and ASEAN. In addition, Vangelis has helped design and implement the advancement of New Zealand's strategy of concerted open plurilateralism [PDF, 215 KB] including through the conclusion and expansion of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, the Agreement on Climate Change and Sustainable Development and the Indigenous Peoples’ Economic Cooperation and Trade Arrangement. Vangelis was also involved in the establishment and expansion of the Inclusive Trade Action Group and New Zealand’s membership of the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement [PDF, 462 KB].

Vangelis has worked outside the Ministry including in the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(external link) (OECD). He is a past member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF)(external link) Global Future Council on Trade, is currently a member of the WEF International Trade and Investment Action Group and is also on the Steering Committee for the WEF Climate Trade Zero initiative. He has chaired in a personal capacity the OECD Committee on Trade and the Environment. the OECD Global Forum on Trade and Climate Change and is currently the New Zealand Envoy for the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative(external link).

A keen saltwater land-based fisherman, Vangelis is married with three children and speaks Greek, German and Russian. He is a longstanding (and suffering) supporter of the Wellington Phoenix Football Club(external link).

Follow Vangelis on X @VangelisVNZ(external link)