analysis: The trip to Europe is long at its peak, but the geographic isolation of New Zealand is emphasized and the Covid drawbridge is not completely down.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern landed at Heathrow Airport in London on Monday morning (local time) after a 30-hour trip. And the Prime Minister, along with a group of government officials and journalists, still has one flight left.
I left New Zealand on Sunday afternoon, but my ticket to Madrid, Spain will not be completed until Tuesday afternoon (NZ time).
Ardern is in Europe to meet NATO leaders in Madrid. She also participates in the “final stage” of trade negotiations with Belgian Europeans, on par with some of the most powerful figures in the West.
Kim Sun Mi / Staff
Jacinda Ardern arrived in Europe prior to a week-long meeting that included the NATO summit.
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After a very long journey, Ardern will certainly want to make sure this is all worth it. She is here for a series of quick engagements throughout the content.
Initially, the clearest rewards could be obtained if the slow-moving free trade negotiations with the European Union (EU) actually progress.
Clocks are ticking due to (a kind of) trading, with only four days left until the voluntary deadline for June. They wanted to sign some “principle agreement” on this deal. However, negotiations for such a deal have been going on for four years and there is a lot of enthusiasm.
And it may not be wise to rush a deal.
In a previous interview, Ardern emphasized the importance of New Zealand’s major exports, such as cheese and kiwifruit, for such an agreement. However, the leaked proposal from the EU in 2020 would have outlined the agricultural access proposal and would have maintained tariffs and significant restrictions on exports to Europe.
Since then, there have been many other offers, but these details are few. Agricultural lobbies have revealed that they expect much more, especially if the agreement comes to add restrictions to the New Zealand market. It is likely to include a new restriction that the EU calls a “geographical indication”, which could mean, for example, that feta cheese can no longer be called feta cheese.
Evan Vucci / AP
US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jason Stoltenberg are one of the promising leaders at the Madrid summit.
What else is there if it is not an EU trade agreement?
If you write very little about EU trade negotiations, everything will not be lost.
New Zealand was invited to the NATO Summit for the first time. Last year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltemberg received an invitation when he said he wanted to build a stronger alliance with his friends in the Asia-Pacific block, including Australia, Japan and South Korea.
This is a conference attended by President Joe Biden of the United States and President Emmanuel Macron of France, who plans how to combat the geopolitical and security concerns shared by these powerful nations. Can stand.
New Zealand is not a NATO member. After all, it is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a predominant military alliance between certain European countries and North Americans who share concerns about Russia.
At face value, this leader’s summit has a clear focus on the war in Ukraine.
Ardern states that her government has promised about $ 9 million to support Ukraine’s self-defense, but NATO leaders are not particularly interested in what New Zealand is saying about Ukraine. ..
Stoltenberg discussed China’s ambitions in the Pacific and Asia as NATO’s concern.
The tension between the West and China in the Pacific is nothing new. It also gives the Pacific, of which New Zealand is part, some power to convey our concerns to a very powerful country.
Ardern reiterated her view that if the United States, or its Western allies, are concerned about China’s actions in the Pacific, they should be involved here as well.
For example, China is very open to trade with New Zealand. Meanwhile, trade negotiations with the EU have been painful and the United States has not returned to the CPTPP table.
And what if everything else fails?
Well, there must be some kind of Royal Engineers in Europe.
And anyway, Ardern said the trip was about a “reconnect” after the blockade.
If anything, just traveling to Europe showed how vulnerable New Zealand was to amputation. It is a distant land that is still on the ice and must be fought hard for tourism.
Border restrictions to New Zealand are imminent, but we need to look for Auckland Airport to prove that we have a long way to go. Other major airports, such as Heathrow, Melbourne and Los Angeles, are very busy and struggling to keep up with demand, but recently only a few shops and cafes have opened.
During this trip and similar missions abroad, Ardern said he wanted to remind the world that “New Zealand is open for business.” Auckland Airport and those who depend on it are confident that they want to hear the message.