After attending the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels on 3-4 April, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed New Zealand’s readiness to work more closely with NATO to maintain collective security, New Zealand media reported.
Peters emphasised that New Zealand must be prepared to contribute to international stability. Against the backdrop of negotiations for a new partnership agreement with NATO, New Zealand expects to finalise the pact in the “coming months”. The partnership will be built under a new NATO model called the Individual Partnership Programme, signalling a shift in the alliance’s partnership framework. Peters stated:
“We expect to conclude this partnership in the coming months, agreeing to tangible areas of co-operation.”
While in Brussels, Peters also had bilateral meetings with his Foreign Minister counterparts from Belgium, Netherlands, South Korea, Ukraine, the UK and the European Commission. New Zealand Foreign Minister added:
“We had wide-ranging discussions with a broad range of our European partners, demonstrating the strength and breadth of our partnerships with the EU and its member states. This partnership is based on our shared values and encompasses our mutual support for the rules-based international system, trade and economic links, green agenda co-operation and our people-to-people connections.”
During his upcoming visit to the US, Peters will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Secretary General António Guterres to engage in discussions on major global and regional security issues. He will also address the UN General Assembly to express New Zealand’s concerns about the situation in Gaza.
Peters will return to New Zealand on 14 April after completing his diplomatic work overseas.
