Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: NZUS Council
The New Zealand United States Council today celebrated the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and congratulated them on their emphatic victory in the electoral college and popular vote in November 2020.
The 2020 Presidential election was a modern day record turnout as nearly 156 million Americans exercised their right to vote.
“President Biden’s Democratic Party has majorities in the House and Senate and he has a strong mandate to address the most urgent crises and policy challenges faced by the United States and the world,” NZUS Council chair, Leon Grice said.
“Many of the Biden Administration’s early priorities are priorities that New Zealand supports, starting with ending the COVID-19 pandemic, an immediate return to the Paris Agreement on climate change and a multilateral foreign policy, trade and security agenda.
“The NZUS Council is impressed with President Biden’s foreign policy and security nominations and appointments as they have significant experience. We particularly welcome Kurt Campbell’s appointment to the new White House Indo Pacific coordinator role reporting to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
“As a former assistant secretary of state, Kurt is a diplomat with deep Asia experience, a long-time friend of New Zealand and an architect of the Obama Administration’s pivot to Asia,” Mr Grice said.
Background to NZUS Council and Kurt Campbell
§ In 2014 Kurt Campbell received an honorary Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
§ Kurt Campbell has been a major contributor and supporter of NZUS Council Partnership Forums in New Zealand and in Washington DC.
§ During a NZUS Council public lecture at Victoria University of Wellington in July 2018, Campbell, who was back in the private sector, advocated for a continuation of the US pivot in the Indo Pacific and argued for a multilateral response to maintaining and securing a rules based order in our region.
§ Campbell was emphatic that countries like New Zealand and Australia did not need to make a choice between the United States and China, but it was in the interests of all democratic countries committed to a rules based system to cooperate on foreign policy, trade and security.
