PM Christopher Luxon to travel to US for Nato summit with security a key focus

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during the post-Cabinet press conference, Parliament, Wellington, 24 June, 2024. New Zealand Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and China’s actions as a growing world superpower are likely to be central issues during Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s trip to the United States for the Nato summit.

Luxon will be in Washington DC from July 9 for the summit with other world leaders with whom the PM would hold several bilateral meetings.

“Prosperity is only possible with security, with our discussions set to focus on our collective efforts to support the rules-based system,” Luxon said.

Nato countries, particularly the US, had deemed Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and China’s growing presence in regions, including the Pacific, as indicative of their shift away from an international rules-based regime.

During the summit, a meeting of the Indo-Pacific Four - New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Korea would take place. It was the third time such a meeting had been held at a Nato summit, intended to allow the countries’ leaders to discuss shared challenges.

He would also be meeting with members of the US administration and Congress.

“It is imperative that we have good relationships with key American decision-makers, so they understand what New Zealand is trying to achieve in the world,” he said.

After Washington DC, Luxon would travel to San Francisco with the intention of securing “greater investment links” between New Zealand and the United States, Aotearoa’s second-largest trading partner.

“If it were a country on its own, California would be the fifth biggest economy in the world, ranked between Japan and India,” Luxon said.

“I look forward to building our positive relationship with this great state, and to forging stronger links with its businesses and investors as part of our wider plan to rebuild New Zealand’s economy.”

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.