New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has wrapped up a trip to North America meeting her Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly.
"Let me be very clear on AUKUS, we weren't asked to be a part of that, and it's not a set of arrangements we would be part of, we've preserved opportunities, as I've expressed previously, to have conversations around cyber and artificial intelligence."
The minister says she and Joly discussed "a range of international and regional issues" such as climate change and Covid-19, including their impacts on the Pacific region.
1News was the only New Zealand media to follow the final leg of the minister's world trip, but her adviser threatened to cut short a pre-arranged interview, claiming Mahuta wasn't happy with an image of her sitting down in a chair, used in a previous story.
"I'm not sure why you thought it was wise to show her sitting down," he said.
"It's unflattering, that shot."
The minister has had a busy schedule, but her travel has been complicated by a sore back.
The handler then advised that the minister was reconsidering the interview scheduled later in the day, and that staff had been instructed not to respond to the reporter's inquiries.
However, a short interview did eventually proceed - with Mahuta saying the trip had been a success.
"This was a good opportunity to not only meet my counterparts face-to-face, but to discuss some of those issues important to our nations at this time, like climate change, Covid-19 and indigenous relations."
The minister made no announcements relating to any new initiatives or joint ventures relating to her Foreign Affairs portfolio, but said the trip "reinforced the importance of our countries’ strong friendship."
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