Today, the Prime Minister hosted Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, to discuss how the two nations may work together to address common global concerns.
The two Prime Ministers expressed their appreciation to New Zealand for backing UK membership in the CPTPP and commended the Free Trade Agreement that the two nations had signed in February of this year.
The two presidents applauded the decision to broaden the Youth Mobility Scheme, which would make it easier for young people from both New Zealand and the United Kingdom to find employment there. Additionally, they agreed to the Research, Science, and Innovation Arrangement, which strengthens cooperation between the UK and New Zealand in all three areas to address concerns like climate change.
The leaders talked about current geopolitical issues and agreed that it is crucial to support nations all around the world in maintaining their sovereignty as they reflected on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and NATO summit that took place in Madrid this week. The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Ardern for New Zealand’s assistance in the UK in training the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The leaders agreed on the significance of collaborating closely with Pacific Island leaders to support their economic resilience as they addressed the UK’s expanded engagement and investment in the Pacific area.
As part of the Christchurch Call to Action, Prime Minister Ardern provided an update on her efforts to prevent violent extremism online. She also acknowledged that more work remained to be done to combat misinformation and promote the use of ethical algorithms.