NZ positioned to boost ties between Pacific and ASEAN at summit

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says New Zealand will play a key role in bringing the Pacific region and Southeast Asia closer together.

His comments follow New Zealand’s upgrade of relations with ASEAN to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), which represents a higher-level relationship that goes beyond basic dialogue partner status.

Speaking to the media in Kuala Lumpur on the final day of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Luxon says opportunities are emerging.

“There are some countries [part of ASEAN] that have been involved in the Pacific, but they’re all wanting to get more involved,” Luxon says. “It's sometimes difficult for them to work out how best to do that, and that's where we play a very important role.”

He reiterates the mutual interest of New Zealand and Singapore in connecting ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

The initiative follows New Zealand’s plans to host the PIF Leaders’ Meeting in 2027, coinciding with Singapore chairing ASEAN that same year.

This year, Malaysia is hosting the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

“There's all sorts of things that I think we can do together, and that's what [Singapore’s] Prime Minister Wong and I talked about when he came to visit us,” Luxon says.

Tuesday marked the end of the 47th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, attended by leaders including United States President, Donald Trump and China’s Premier, Li Qiang.

This year’s summit welcomed Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN. Timor-Leste had the option to join the PIF or ASEAN over a decade ago but chose to focus on the latter.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao met with Christopher Luxon on Tuesday morning. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

Aside from the new membership, a ceasefire deal between Cambodia and Thailand was signed after months of negotiations.

New Zealand and Malaysia are also committed to strengthening their trade relations, which will allow Malaysian authorities to approve more New Zealand processing facilities for the first time, expanding access to a market worth over NZ$60 million last year.

As one summit ends, leaders are expected to gather in Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. Established in 1989, APEC is a regional economic forum that promotes free trade and cooperation among its 21 member economies in the Asia-Pacific region, which include Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, and the United States.

Listen to PMN News political reporter, Ala Vailala's report below.

Ahead of attending APEC, Luxon emphasised his agenda for strengthening multilateral trading relationships. While in Korea, New Zealand is also set to upgrade to a CSP with APEC.

“It's also a great way to meet a lot of leaders, again, through a series of bilaterals, through the informal engagements to pick up the one or two issues we may have in our bilateral relationships to talk through and also to build relationships so that you've actually got them when you need them,” Luxon says.