Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone, AFP / Jim Watson
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about a range of topics, including conflicts overseas.
In a post on social media platform X, Peters said they had discussed the importance of US-New Zealand strategic partnership, strengthening cooperation to address regional and global challenges, the situation in Ukraine, and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In a statement, United States Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken congratulated the deputy prime minister on assuming his new role and reiterated the United States' commitment to strengthening the US-New Zealand partnership.
"The two leaders discussed how our nations will bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region.
"Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to facilitating an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, inclusive, and resilient."
In December, Luxon signalled the government was exploring Pillar Two of AUKUS - a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The deal progressed as the US Congress authorised the sale of nuclear submarines to another country, Australia, for the first time.
While New Zealand's non-nuclear status is non-negotiable, Pillar Two is about sharing technology, and Luxon told reporters at a conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that he was exploring it.
Miller said Blinken also thanked Peters for New Zealand's support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity as it defends itself against Russia's war of aggression".
The White House recently approved another tranche of US military aid to Ukraine worth about US$250 million (NZ$401m).
An international relations expert said it is important that New Zealand is speaking to the world's most powerful country at a time of global conflict.
Otago University's Robert Patman said conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have global ramifications, so it is important for New Zealand to be able to have a voice, and articulate its views to the US.
Patman said it remains to be seen how the coalition government will navigate foreign policy and whether there is agreement on New Zealand's place in the world.
But he said it is still early days, adding that Peters is extremely experienced in foreign policy and should hit the ground running in his new role.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said he reiterated New Zealand's support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelensky. In May, former prime minister Chris Hipkins announced increased military, humanitarian, legal and economic support for Ukraine.
Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken today.
— Winston Peters (@NewZealandMFA) January 4, 2024
They discussed:
-importance of / strategic partnership;
-strengthening cooperation to address regional & global challenges;
-the situation in ; and
-the Israel-Gaza conflict
@SecBlinken pic.twitter.com/y8KHjKwKSn
Their discussion comes a day after New Zealand joined another statement by the US and 10 other countries in reiterating their December call for a halt to attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthis.
Yemen's Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea since November to show their support for Hamas, prompting major shipping companies to take the longer and costlier route around the Africa's Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal.
The Red Sea is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal, which handles about 12 percent of global trade and vital for the movement of goods between Asia and Europe.
In November, the US House also approved a nearly US$14.5 billion military aid package for Israel, in response to the war with Hamas.
Blinken had previously said Israel should lower the intensity of its strikes.
