UK PM Rishi Sunak pledges help for floods in call with Chris Hipkins

British PM Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke on Tuesday NZ time. Photo / AP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to help with flood recovery if required in a call with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

Hipkins and Sunak had been scheduled to speak to make an introduction following Hipkins’ elevation to the role of prime minister in January.

In a statement a spokesperson for Sunak said he “congratulated” Hipkins on the new role, and that “the UK stood by to support in any way possible”.

The spokesperson said Sunak’s “sympathies were with all those affected”.

The pair also discussed the war in Ukraine, a priority for the UK. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in the UK last week.

Hipkins said flood help was the first thing Sunak had raised in the call.

Sunak “paid tribute to New Zealand’s support for Ukraine, including the important role... [New Zealand] was playing training Ukrainian soldiers in the UK,” according to the spokesperson.

“Both leaders agreed that the continued international solidarity in support of Ukraine sent a strong message to aggressors across the world.

Speaking on Monday ahead of the call, Hipkins said that the top item of the agenda would likely be the ratification of the New Zealand-UK free trade agreement.

The deal was agreed at the end of 2021 and signed nearly a year ago on February 28, 2022.

All that remains is for legislation enabling the agreement to pass through Parliament. New Zealand’s Parliament has passed legislation giving effect to the agreement. In the UK, the legislation has made its way through the House of Commons, and is currently in the House of Lords, the British upper house.

The UK is keen to join the CPTPP trade agreement, of which New Zealand is a founding member.

Sunak’s spokesperson said he “looked forward to the UK joining the... [CPTPP] a free trade bloc with a combined GDP of £9 trillion[NZD$17.18 trillion], in a near future, and added that he saw it as a chance to bring like minded countries together”.

The leaders said they hoped to meet in person soon.

Hipkins is also scheduled to speak to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.