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☆ New Caledonia riots: Australia, New Zealand send evacuation flights after week of deadly violence
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Sydney/Wellington —Australia and New Zealand said they will send government planes to New Caledonia on Tuesday to evacuate nationals from the French territory which has experienced a week of deadly riots, sparked by electoral changes by the French government in Paris. France’s High Commission in New Caledonia said on Tuesday the airport remains closed for commercial flights, and it will deploy the military to protect public buildings. There were around 3,200 people waiting to leave or enter New Caledonia as commercial flights were canceled due to the unrest that broke out last week, the local government has said. Theo Rouby/AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand, French and Australian foreign ministers held a call on Monday evening, after New Zealand and Australia said they were waiting for clearance from French authorities to send defense aircraft to evacuate tourists. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days – and bringing them home has been an urgent priority for the government,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.

Persons: Theo Rouby, Winston Peters, “, Penny Wong Organizations: Sydney, Wellington —, Commission, Getty, New, ” New Zealand Foreign, Australia’s Locations: Wellington, Wellington — Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Paris, France’s, France, Normandy, Noumea, AFP, Zealand, Australia, “, Zealanders, Nouméa, ”

☆ Phillip Mehrtens: Militants squabble over fate of New Zealand pilot on anniversary of his kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Militant rebels in Indonesia’s restive West Papua are urging their most feared comrade to release a New Zealand pilot held hostage for a year. Mehrtens’ captors initially threatened to kill him unless New Zealand agreed to pressure Indonesia into allowing West Papua to secede from Indonesia, a seemingly impossible demand. West Papua separatist fighters release images of their hostage soon after his capture in February 2023. West Papua National Liberation ArmyFailed rescue effortsGrainy proof of life videos sent by the rebels between February and November 2023 show Mehrtens growing thinner and more unkempt. “The Indonesian response is dictated by the Indonesian military and their view is that they will hunt down this group, kill the leaders and release Mehrtens,” Kingsbury said.

Persons: Eganius Koyega, Phillip Mehrtens, Mehrtens ’, Mehrtens, Koyega, ” Koyega, ” TPNPB, Terryanus Satto, aren’t, hasn’t, Damien Kingsbury, ”, Winston Peters, Christmas Phillip, ” Peters, ” Kingsbury, “, Cammi Webb, Gannon, ’ ”, Webb, ” Webb, TPNB, Andreas Harsono, Prabowo Subianto, “ Prabowo, ” Harsono Organizations: CNN — Militant, New, Koyega, West Papuan National Liberation Army, Free Papua Movement, West Papua National Liberation Army, Indonesian Army, New Zealand, New Zealand Foreign Affairs, New Zealand Government, CNN, Australia’s University of Wollongong, Indonesian, Human Rights Watch, Rights, West Locations: Indonesia’s restive West Papua, Zealand, Nduga, New Zealand, Indonesia, West Papua, Indonesian, Papuan, West, New, Australia, Jakarta, “, ” West Papua, Papua

☆ New Zealand Calls for Kiwi Pilot to Be Freed a Year After Papua Kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - New Zealand has called for the immediate release of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens, a year after he was taken hostage by rebels in Indonesia's Papua region, its foreign minister said on Monday. His continued detention serves the interests of no one," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. The New Zealand foreign minister said a range of government agencies continued to work extensively with their Indonesian counterparts to secure Mehrtens' release. The separatist group has released video of Mehrtens several times, asking the United Nations to mediate talks towards Papua's independence. In one of the videos, he was seen holding the banned Morning Star flag and surrounded by Papuan fighters.

Persons: Phillip Mehrtens, Egianus Kogoya, Mehrtens, Phillip, Winston Peters, Sebby Sambom, Ananda Teresia, Kate Lamb, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kiwi, West Papua National Liberation Army, New Zealand Foreign, United Nations, New Zealand, United, Star Locations: JAKARTA, New Zealand, Indonesia's Papua, Nduga, Papua, Papua New Guinea, United Nations

☆ New Zealand Foreign Minister to Attend UN as Prime Minister Campaigns at Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's foreign minister will attend the United Nations General Assembly before heading onto Washington for meetings on Pacific regional issues, leaving Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at home to campaign ahead of the Oct. 14 election. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement that she would participate in the United Nations leaders’ meetings starting this week on behalf at Hipkins and undertake a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings. "I’m looking forward to delivering the National Statement on behalf of New Zealand and reaffirming our close relationships with friends and key partners while in the United States," Mahuta said. Pacific Island countries are expected to meet with President Joe Biden next week for a second summit with the United States. "I am looking forward to having productive discussions in Washington DC to consider how the United States can help advance Pacific priorities," said Mahuta.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Chris Hipkins, Nanaia Mahuta, Mahuta, Joe Biden, Biden, Lucy Craymer, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, United Nations General Assembly, Labour, National Party, . Foreign, United Nations, Washington DC, Pacific . Locations: Washington, New Zealand, Hipkins, United States, Pacific

☆ New Zealand confident about IAEA advice on Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta told the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Monday that her government has full confidence in the IAEA's advice on the proposed Fukushima treated water release. Following the release of the report, Grossi visited South Korea. He is currently in New Zealand before travelling to the Cook Islands where he will meet with Pacific Islands Forum chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown. The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc of 17 island nations, has raised significant concerns about the release of the water fearing among other things the impact on fisheries. Mahuta said New Zealand acutely understands the effects nuclear testing has had on its Pacific neighbours in the past, and the government would continue to call for the release of the water to be dealt with through transparency and meaningful dialogue.

Persons: Nanaia Mahuta, Rafael Grossi, Japan's, Grossi, Mark Brown, Mahuta, Lucy Craymer, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: WELLINGTON, Zealand Foreign, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Pacific Islands Forum, Cook Islands, Thomson Locations: South Korea, New Zealand, Cook, Zealand, Lincoln

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine has submitted a formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to New Zealand, Japanese and New Zealand authorities said on Friday. New Zealand, which performs the legal depositary functions for the partnership, had received a formal accession request from Ukraine on May 5, a New Zealand foreign ministry spokesperson said. The CPTPP includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, with Britain becoming the 12th member state. China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Uruguay all also have requests pending to join. Japan's economy minister, Shigeyuki Goto, told a regular press conference that Japan, as a CPTPP member, "must carefully assess whether Ukraine fully meets the high level of the agreement" in terms of market access and rules.

Persons: Shigeyuki Goto, Kantaro Komiya, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Trans, Pacific, ., Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Ukraine, New Zealand, Zealand, Auckland, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Britain, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Uruguay

SYDNEY, June 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Tuesday she had a "very robust" discussion during an earlier meeting with her Chinese counterpart, as the leaders of the two countries prepare to meet. A report by the Australian newspaper said Mahuta received an "epic haranguing" and an "almighty dressing down" during a March meeting with China's foreign minister Qin Gang, in a potential sign of tensions in the relationship between New Zealand and its largest trading partner. "I would say that China is very assertive in the way that it conveys its interests," Mahuta told reporters on Tuesday, characterising the March meeting as "very robust". Mahuta did not elaborate further on the topics discussed in the meeting. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is currently leading a delegation to Beijing that arrived on Monday and includes some of New Zealand's biggest companies.

Persons: Nanaia Mahuta, Mahuta, Qin Gang, Chris Hipkins, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, Zealand's, National People's Congress, Australia, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Beijing, New, Sydney

☆ Britain's Cleverly leaves New Zealand early to focus on Sudan response
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People look for water during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahWELLINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - British Foreign Minister James Cleverly will leave New Zealand Friday and cut his Pacific tour short, his office said, as he focuses on coordinating Britain's response to the Sudan crisis. Cleverly had been scheduled to meet with Samoan officials and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Samoa on Friday before undertaking a bilateral meeting and press briefing Saturday in New Zealand. "It’s with real regret that due to the ongoing situation in Sudan I’ve had to cut the visit short. The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Cleverly was skipping his Samoa stop and heading straight to New Zealand where he could better coordinate London's response to events in Africa.

☆ New Zealand raises concerns with China on South China Sea, Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 25 (Reuters) - New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Saturday she had expressed concerns over the South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait during talks with her Chinese counterpart at the end of a visit to Beijing. "Nanaia Mahuta expressed concerns over developments in the South China Sea and increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign minister's statement said. New Zealand has consistently expressed concerns about the potential militarisation of the Pacific, amid China's military buildup in the South China Sea. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the option of using force to take the island under its control, and claims a large part of the South China Sea. She invited Qin to visit New Zealand, and also flagged a potential visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to China, perhaps this year.

☆ New Zealand foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand's foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta, will travel to China on Tuesday to meet her counterpart Qin Gang on the first such visit by a New Zealand minister since 2019. "New Zealand's relationship with China is one of our most important, complex and wide ranging," she said in a statement. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealand's position on China had not changed. Hipkins said he had not "certainly taken off the table" a trip to China this year. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand increases funding for Vanuatu wharves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta speaks during a session of the UN Human Rights Councill in Geneva, Switzerland February 28, 2022. New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement on Wednesday that building climate-resilient wharves and establishing reliable and regular shipping services would help the prosperity and wellbeing of the people of Vanuatu. The project is part of the Vanuatu Inter-Island Shipping Support Project, which has among a number of projects, has completed two wharves. New Zealand, alongside the government of Vanuatu and the Asian Development Bank, has been a co-financier of the project since 2012. Foreign investment in wharves in Vanuatu came into the spotlight in 2018 following media reports China wanted to establish a military base in Vanuatu after funding a wharf big enough to handle large warships.

☆ NZ foreign minister says superpowers must listen to needs of Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - New Zealand's foreign minister said on Thursday that the United States and China should engage with the Pacific through the Pacific Islands Forum, and work to address the needs of the region. Although the United States has considered the Pacific its maritime backyard since World War Two, China's influence has been increasing in recent years. Some of the Pacific nations have complained about being caught in the middle of the superpowers' battle for influence. The United States is holding a two-day summit with Pacific leaders that is focusing on issues such as climate change and health. read moreMahuta said she had told partners of the Blue Pacific meeting that listening to Pacific nations and their needs is crucial.

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