Mahuta at NZIIA Conference '23

“Foreign policy has never been so important”

That’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs conference on Thursday,

Speaking to audience of Institute members, policy analysts, officials, academics and students, she outlined the challenges New Zealand faces with regard to global security.

In particular, she cited the challenging dynamics around “poverty levels, and indebtedness, conflict, economic exclusion, and human rights abuses”.

One of the central themes on display was the increasing challenges to international rules, and the reliance New Zealand has on those rules remaining workable and resilient.

The speech was the second this year in which Mahuta outlined her vision for New Zealand’s foreign policy.

Last month in a  speech to Wellington-based members of the diplomatic corps she confirmed she would speak out “alone if necessary” on issues she felt New Zealand needed to communicate to the international community.

Mahuta emphasised the fundamental basis for New Zealand;s foreign policy strategy is tied to the Treaty of Waitangi, which was based on a concept of partnership.

“In a troubled world partnerships with shared values commitment to multi the multilateral system, and common agendas on climate, human rights and regional stability become increasingly treasured," she told the conference.

But she pointed out an independent foreign policy “does not mean isolation, neutrality, or a fixed, pre-determined view on how we will act on a particular issue.”

In a twenty minute speech that rattled through current hot-spots and tensions in Aotearoa’s foreign affairs, the Minister also took time to reference this country's  partnerships across the region, including Australia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, the US, and China.

“But our global partnerships are not exclusively with those mirroring our views. Although the international environment may be more complicated, it does not represent a new cold war, or binary choices” she said.

Mahuta described China as a “significant relationship”  which is moving into areas way beyond just trade and commerce.

“China's rise and, more recently, it's more assertive foreign policy provide a backdrop to some of the trends and challenges I referred to earlier,” she said.

Indonesia’s partnership with New Zealand over issues like illegal fishing and trans-national crime was just one example given of this country's  continuing close relationship with the ASEAN nations.

New Zealand’s relationship with India has been in the headlines recently,  

“India, the world’s most populous country and the world’s fifth largest economy is a vital actor, and an important partner”, she said. 

Referencing the visit to New Zealand last year from Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Mahuta again emphasised things have changed for the better between the two nations..

“Building on a significant lift over the last year, we will grow in investor relationships, seeking a step change to broaden areas of opportunity and cooperation,” Mahuta said.

“In the context of all these partnerships, let me just reiterate our commitment to engage on matters when we find common ground.”

-Asia Media Centre