News:
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta received congratulatory phone calls from three of our closest partners today: Australia, Canada and the United States.
With Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Minister Mahuta discussed the relationship New Zealand and Australia share, our closest and most important. The Ministers underscored the many ways in which our bilateral cooperation should continue to build in the period ahead, including on geostrategic, economic and people-to-people issues. The Ministers noted the challenges that COVID-19 was presenting our countries, as well as the Indo-Pacific region. They discussed the ways in which New Zealand and Australia would continue to cooperate to respond to the pandemic, including work towards a trans-Tasman safe travel zone and support for our region. They underscored their intention to have substantive discussions in the weeks ahead.
With Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne, the Ministers noted the shared values and common interests which underpinned the relationship between New Zealand and Canada. The Ministers discussed our close cooperation on a range of global issues and commitment to the international, rules-based system. The Ministers looked forward to future engagement, including on indigenous issues.
With United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Minister Mahuta discussed the importance of the US/NZ strategic partnership. They also touched on areas of cooperation or common interest, including security and defence cooperation, building our bilateral economic partnership, the Pacific Islands region and the impacts of COVID-19, and cooperation in regional and international organisations such as EAS and APEC.