Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Prime Minister Hipkins of New Zealand

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Blinken met today with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to discuss key priorities in the U.S.-N.Z. bilateral relationship and a range of global and regional issues.

Secretary Blinken underscored the importance of the Pacific Islands region to the United States and emphasized his confidence that the United States and New Zealand would continue working together to engage and support their partners in the Pacific.

The Secretary also thanked Prime Minister Hipkins for New Zealand’s generosity in its continued support for the people of Ukraine against Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He emphasized the importance of New Zealand’s attendance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius earlier this month, where New Zealand pledged additional support to Ukraine, including $3 million for recovery and reconstruction assistance.

The two sides discussed their respective trips to the People’s Republic of China. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, a goal which was shared by Prime Minister Hipkins.