Source: New Zealand Government
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today held their first successful bilateral meeting in Sydney this morning.
The Prime Minister was the first head of government to meet with Prime Minister Albanese in Australia since the he took office.
“I was really delighted to meet Prime Minister Albanese and congratulate him in person on his election win. Our time together today cements an already very close relationship between our two nations,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“To meet so quickly after the Australian election is indicative of the close relationship of our two countries. I look forward to continue working together, and hosting the Prime Minister in New Zealand in the future.
“Through our single economic market, our people-to-people ties and our shared interests in our region and the world, wherever New Zealand and Australia face challenges and change, we both gain more by facing them together,” Jacinda Ardern said.
The pair discussed cooperation and engagement in the Pacific region, in particular the importance of working together to support Pacific partners facing a complex and growing array of challenges, including climate change and an increasingly contested strategic environment.
The talks also covered Australia and New Zealand’s common goals on the international stage including our support for the international rules-based order and its institutions, our responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Christchurch Call to address terrorist and violent extremist content online.
Jacinda Ardern welcomed the new Australian Government’s emphasis on First Nations voices and Mr Albanese’s commitment to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Prime Ministers agreed to continue to ensure indigenous perspectives are at the centre of our policy making.
Jacinda Ardern also noted that the two had discussed the situation of the around 700,000 New Zealand citizens living in Australia, including Australia’s 501 deportations policy.
“I’ve asked Prime Minister Albanese to see what changes might be possible, in particular to take greater account of potential deportees’ links to New Zealand. In New Zealand for instance, we do not deport individuals who have lived here for 10 years or more,” Jacinda Ardern said.
The Prime Ministers agreed to continue working closely to address these and other issues that matter to both countries.
Prime Minister Ardern noted that the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum in Sydney in July presented a valuable opportunity for trans-Tasman business and government leaders to connect. The Prime Ministers confirmed they will also meet again in July.
