I will hear Russia out — Ardern

PM off to brace of summits, keen to meet leaders, talk free trade

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will stay and listen if Russia speaks at the upcoming East Asia Summit and Apec, rather than walking out in a show of diplomatic disgust.

Ardern leaves this morning for the EAS in Cambodia and Apec summit in Thailand, groupings that include super powers US, Russia and China.

Between summits, she will visit Vietnam for a trade delegation while the leaders of the big powers meet in Indonesia for the G20 Summit.

Ardern said despite the freeze on diplomatic relations with Russia, she will not walk out of any speeches by Russia at the upcoming summits, as has happened at some earlier international meetings.

“My view is that in these summits, I expect them to stay at the table as we share our view, and so I intend to stay at the table as I hear others’ as well.

“We are very clear in our positioning. There is no question Russia knows New Zealand’s position.” Many of the Southeast Asian countries in the groupings have been more muted in their criticism and sanctions and she said that could make it hard to get consensus at the summits.

Ardern said part of New Zealand’s focus would be on climate change, which New Zealand got on the agenda when it hosted Apec last year.

However, it was likely the economic situation would dominate as inflation — and the Covid-19 and Ukraine economic impacts — buffeted all countries to varying degrees.

Ardern voiced concern about what that would mean for free trade, saying some countries tended to “retreat” from free trade at such times.

She said countries were voicing concern about “food security” — shorthand for protectionism.

“As we see food prices rise, and knock-on effects from the war in Ukraine, some leaders are calling for what is essentially greater forms of protectionism — either walking away from existing trade arrangements or seeking not to engage in future trade dialogue.”

She said New Zealand’s view was that free trade was key to solving food issues.

“So it is a chance to reaffirm why it’s important for a trading nation like ours that that retreat does not occur.”

Regional issues — including the ongoing jostling between China and the US for influence in the IndoPacific and ongoing concern about violence under the military junta in Myanmar — will also feature large.

“We’ve stated firmly our position on what has occurred [in Myanmar] at the hands of the military, and the political imprisonments, and have called for a return to democracy. We will do that again.”

She has not sought a meeting with US President Joe Biden, but hoped to see him informally at the East Asia Summit.

She will be keen to hear what impact the mid-term elections might have on Biden’s programme of engagement in the Pacific. That includes the development of the Indo-Pacific Partnership, which NZ has signed up for while making it clear it sees it as an inferior offering to a free trade deal or the US signing up to the CPTPP.

Otherwise, Ardern said she would seek out newer leaders she had not yet met, such as newly elected Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, the son of Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos replaces the controversial Rodrigo Dutertes.