PM’s Europe trip more than meet-and-greet
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will have a private meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace next week while Ardern is in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The meeting on Thursday would be Ardern’s first with the Queen.
‘‘I’m very much looking forward to sharing this government’s vision for New Zealand and our priorities,’’ Ardern said.
The meeting is officially known as an ‘‘on appointment’’ audience, which is offered to new prime ministers of countries where the Queen is the head of state.
Ardern will also be meeting the Prince of Wales (Charles) and the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) at Clarence House the day before.
‘‘I’m also looking forward to a very special Youth Town Hall where I will be meeting students from three London schools and hearing about the key social issues which concern them like gender equality.’’
The town hall is being hosted at London’s City Hall on Wednesday, by London mayor Sadiq Khan who has also invited Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Ardern left for Europe yesterday, after spending a day with New Zealand athletes in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
A free trade deal with the European Union is set to be the top priority for the prime minister when she touches down in Europe for her biggest foreign policy test yet.
The trip will mark several firsts for Ardern: her first meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May, whom Ardern has spoken to over the phone. Paris starter But beginning in Paris, Ardern will raise the free trade agreement with the European Union as a top priority in an hour-long bilateral discussion with Macron.
France has been hesitant about a trade agreement with New Zealand, and agriculture is understood to be a large reason why.
Ardern is likely to use the successful negotiations of other trade agreements in competitive markets like China and the recently-signed 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership agreement as examples of how issues in agriculture are dealt with at the nego- tiation table.
The trade deal would represent about $15 billion in two-way trade, but a mandate for the EU to begin negotiations is yet to be voted on by the 23 member states. It is expected to be considered in May.
Germany, however – which along with France, holds significant sway in the EU – has been publicly supportive of a deal with New Zealand. Issues of reciprocal education agreements, and visa access are likely to be one priority in Ardern’s discussions with Merkel.
Ardern will then have a formal discussion with May at 10 Downing St, ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth meeting, and a free trade agreement with Britain following its exit from the EU will be a priority.
While Britain has been given the green light to begin talking with other countries on trade, no formal negotiations can begin until the terms of its exit from the EU have been finalised – not due to occur until the Brexit deadline of March 2019. Chemical attack Ardern’s trip, however, coincides with several global flashpoints that will shape the tone of her meetings with all leaders, not least the recent chemical attack on a Russian double agent on British soil, largely acknowledged to be the work of the Russian Government.
New Zealand had raised international eyebrows over the reluctance of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to relinquish efforts to reignite free trade talks with Russia, in light of the chemical attack at Salisbury.
Peters will also be travelling to Europe and will have talks with British counterpart Boris Johnson.
Both Ardern and Peters had already made strong statements that New Zealand stood firm with Britain in the face of the attack, which put the agent, his daughter and more than 20 other civilians in hospital in serious conditions.
But it’s likely Peters’ visit in particular will include some damage control and both will likely give further assurances that New Zealand’s position had not changed.
Meanwhile recent reports of alleged plans by China to set up a military base in Vanuatu is likely to be an area of common ground between Ardern and Macron.
France is a Pacific nation with territories and strong interests in the region. Where New Zealand and French interests have not always historically aligned in the Pacific, a staunch opposition to the militarisation of the region will be held by both countries.