Guergana Guermanoff with Phil Goff. Photo: Supplied / X / Phil Goff
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has confirmed the deputy high commissioner will represent New Zealand in the United Kingdom, while Phil Goff prepares to return to New Zealand.
Guergana Guermanoff, who has only been deputy since January, was temporarily stepping up following Goff's sacking from his role as high commissioner.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters removed Goff from his post on Thursday, after comments he made where he appeared to question US President Donald Trump's understanding of history.
Guermanoff has a long diplomatic background, having served as consul-general in Shanghai from 2015 to 2018, and was foreign policy advisor to Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins.
She has also worked at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing, and was the principal advisor for the 2021 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which New Zealand hosted remotely.
A spokesperson for MFAT said Guermanoff would perform the high commissioner's duties until a successor was appointed. An announcement on his successor, and any further transitional arrangements, would be made in due course once the usual processes had been completed.
The spokesperson repeated that MFAT was in discussions with Goff about the timing for his departure.
In response to questions about whether any edict had gone out since the Trump administration took office for diplomats to be more careful with their language, the spokesperson said "all ministry staff, particularly senior staff, are regularly reminded of their role to represent New Zealand government policy and interests".
On Thursday, Peters said Goff's removal was not because he made comments about Trump specifically.
"We cannot have people making comments, which impinge upon our very future, no matter what the country is, whether it's Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Japan or dare I say it the United States."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
