London, 2 July 2022 (TDI): The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson, hosted the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, at Downing Street on Friday.
11,000 miles separate us, but our nations are close friends and partners.
Prime Minister @BorisJohnson welcomed New Zealand Prime Minister @jacindaardern to Downing street today. pic.twitter.com/WJBuAx1pDE
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 1, 2022
The two leaders met to discuss how the two states can manage to face challenges together. They welcomed the Free Trade Agreement signed in February.
“11000 miles separate us, but our nations are close partners and friends,” said Prime Minister Johnson.
He thanked New Zealand for providing support to UK’s access to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
They also agreed to extend the Youth Mobility and Working Holiday schemes.
The age limit for applicants will go up from 30 to 35, and the maximum length of time people can stay in the host country will now be three years. The scheme was previously open to 18-30 year-olds.
They signed the agreement on Science, Research, and Innovation as well. It will strengthen both states’ collaboration in addressing issues like climate change.
Reflecting on the recent NATO summit, the leaders also discussed ongoing geopolitical challenges. They assured that they will continue to support other states in defending sovereignty.
British Prime Minister’s Statement
According to Prime Minister Johnson, “The partnership among New Zealand and the UK makes our countries prosperous and safer. We are working closely together to address growing and new threats that undermine stability in Indo-Pacific and Europe. Our trade deal opens exciting opportunities for British entrepreneurs”.
Moreover, he thanked New Zealand’s Prime Minister for providing support in the training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They also discussed delivering more effective training.
In addition, both leaders had a discussion on UK’s investment and engagement in the Pacific region. They agreed that it is important to work closely with leaders of Pacific islands to support their economy.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand updated her British counterpart on her work to tackle online violent extremism. This is a significant part of the Christchurch Call to Action plan.
Boris Johnson appreciated her work. He agreed more is required to be done for combating disinformation and making sure use of responsible algorithms.
Moreover, both leaders also congratulated each other on the success of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022.
