Foreign Minister Winston Peters' visit to Singapore and Japan is important – but has "convenient" timing with India prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit this week, a foreign affairs expert says.
Modi will visit New Zealand for two days later this week – the first Indian prime minister to visit the country in 40 years – when he arrives on Friday.
His visit will partly be a celebration of the New Zealand and India Free Trade Agreement signed in April, which Peters has publicly opposed.
Although the agreement has not been ratified yet, the legislative process is underway after Labour agreed to support it after Peters refused to do so.
Last week, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said Peters’ opposition to the agreement had been "not helpful" and said it risked undermining New Zealand’s relationship with India.
When Modi arrives in New Zealand, Peters will be away on a trip to Singapore and Japan. He departed on June 5 and will get back on June 12, the day after Modi has left.
Foreign affairs expert and University of Otago professor Robert Patman said it was a "relatively unusual" situation.
“It is relatively unusual for the PM and FM of a government – albeit a three-party coalition government – to fundamentally disagree about a key foreign policy initiative such as the FTA with India.
“If past New Zealand practice is anything to go by, the PM normally has the final word on foreign policy. But this does not seem to be the case with this National-led coalition government. In fact, Winston Peters has publicly indicated during the term of this coalition Government that he believes he is in charge of New Zealand foreign policy.”
Patman said Peters had "shown no signs" of curbing his opposition to the FTA, and probably does not want to do anything diplomatically which “suggests he is watering down his opposition to placate the support of the National Party”.
However, he did note both Singapore and Japan, where Peters is visiting this week, are both “widely considered to be vital for New Zealand’s core economic and security interests in the indo-Pacific”.
“So, the timing of the visits may be convenient in some ways for [Peters], no one can dispute that Winston Peters will be engaged in serious foreign policy work while he is away.”
In response to 1News’ questions on the timing of Peters’ trip coinciding with Modi’s visit to New Zealand, Peters’ office said the Foreign Minister’s schedule is planned “months in advance” and guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strategy and Government international engagement strategy.
“The timing is independent of the Prime Minisiter’s hosting of Prime Minister Modi.”
'A leader-level visit' – Luxon
Speaking to media, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Peters' absence is "quite normal" when the Indian prime minister was due.
"It's a leader-level visit, in the same way that I get hosted by leaders overseas, and the foreign minister is not with me typically on those visits either. I was hosted in India by Prime Minister Modi. I'm hosting him here in New Zealand. The foreign minister has actually got to do business in Singapore and Japan.
"That's quite normal, and as I said, it's quite normal. I don't go travelling with the Foreign Minister and do visits to other leaders when I'm overseas."
When Luxon was pressed again on Peters' absence, he said: “I don't remember going with the Foreign Minister to any other visit that I've done offshore, and often we have hosted visitors here where both of us are not here in the country at that point of time, as well.
“It's quite normal. So, I'd just say it's a leader-to-leader visit that we're hosting here.
"We also have an important relationship, as you know, having upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership with Singapore. We've also added defence ties with Japan, and it's appropriate the Foreign Minister is out doing the business in the world as well.”
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