The international political year ahead
She’s made an entrance on the international stage, but there’s still an array of firsts for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to tick off
This year may be seen has her first full entry into the foreign political circuit and while she can’t do them all, here is a list of some of the international engagements the Prime Minister might have on her radar in the coming year.
MEETING THE LEADERS:
UK: One of our closest relations, and Ardern does still have to meet the Queen of New Zealand too. That’s likely to occur when she attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, in April. A bilateral talk with British Prime Minister Theresa May is bound to be one of many leader-to-leader meetings on the cards as well.
Australia: New Zealand and Australia’s Prime Minister’s meet at least once every year, and it’s New Zealand’s turn to travel there. While Ardern has travelled to Sydney to meet with Malcolm Turnbull, it was an hours-long trip to ensure the pair had meet before crossing paths again at APEC just a couple of weeks later.
These annual meetings are usually stretched over a day and include intensive bilateral and less formal discussions.
US: A big one, notwithstanding the fact it’s not entirely clear President Trump initially knew who he was meeting when the pair got a chance to chat briefly on the outskirts of APEC in Vietnam last year.
But it’s always a logistically tough one to organise, and so may not be fast in happening. It’s usually aimed for one visit a term and a visit this year is unlikely. If Ardern attends the UN General Assembly in New York, then a meeting on the fringes could occur around September, but that would not be a formal Whitehouse visit.
EU: A trip to the European Union this year is surely high on the cards for Ardern, given a free trade deal is a priority for both parties. Formal negotiations were expected to launch at the end of last year, and both sides expect to have them concluded by 2021.
China: The last visit of a New Zealand leader to China was in April 2016, when Key visited. An election year leaves little room for international trips but the relationship with China has always been an important one and an upgrade to the longstanding FTA is under way. A visit or an invitation to host Chinese dignitaries here, is about due.
Iraq: Not a must and potentially a longshot. But a visit to NZ troops stationed in Iraq would not necessarily be surprising. When former Prime Minister John Key visited New Zealand troops in US camp Taji, it was a high-security visit shrouded in secrecy. When Key went, he was fulfilling a promise he made when he announced he would be placing troops there – he would not put them anywhere he was not prepared to go himself.
Ardern is not beholden to that, however the mission to Iraq comes up for review and potential extension or expiry in November this year. She has not adopted her predecessor Andrew Little’s campaign promise to withdraw troops, and may deem it necessary to go as part of her review. But if she did, it would not be made public until after she had returned.
THE INTERNATIONAL FORUMS
Apec: In Papua New Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby, around November.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is a regular on the Prime Ministerial diary.
Asean: The Association of South East Asian Nation’s summit typically follows on directly after APEC and Prime Ministers attend both. This year it’s set to be held in Singapore.
Pacific Islands Forum:
An important one for New Zealand Prime Minister’s to attend, as a leader in the Pacific. This year’s location could be controversial as the tiny island of Nauru prepares to play host. It’s the home of one of Australia’s controversial detention centres for asylum seekers, which is set to close, but whose inhabitants have been the subject of a contentious invitation to re-home them in New Zealand.
Unga: The UN General Assembly is a yearly event in New York, in September. Leaders from all corners of the globe descend on Manhattan and it’s also prime opportunity for major international meetings to occur on the fringes, however the Prime Minister doesn’t typically go every year.
THE WILDCARDS
World Economic Forum: This is held in Davos, Switzerland, every year and Trade Minister David Parker is going. And incidentally, the US Government has just announced President Trump will be there. But it’s not a common one for the leaders to visit every year, and it’s unlikely Ardern will have the chance to attend this year – the meeting is just two weeks away.
Antarctica: Always a possibility, and quite often a visit to the New Zealand scientists and researchers working hard to preserve this pristine ice land.
It’s one leaders have historically ticked off early, because if you have the opportunity to visit Antarctica ... why wouldn’t you.
As a bonus wildcard, an invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit New Zealand, has been extended by Ardern and not yet taken up.
It’s a long way to travel and a joint trip down to the ice could ‘‘knock two bastards off’’, as they say in Kiwi ice-exploration vernacular.