Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Foreign Affairs Minister says the US President’s invitation for Christopher Luxon to join the Board of Peace for Gaza is a “multi-faceted” issue and requires a “measured look”.
No decision has been made yet regarding the invite, but Winston Peters says advice from his ministry is being prepared “as we speak”.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said last week he welcomed the beginning of the next phase of the peace plan for Gaza and would give the invite “due consideration”.
Speaking to reporters on the first day of Parliament, Peters said there hadn’t been a chance yet for him to discuss the invite with Luxon.
But he said the government was going to sit down and “dispassionately discuss” the issue in its entirety and what it might mean.
“Because it’s not just a small issue, it’s a multi-faceted issue, and we need to take a quite measured look at it.”
Asked whether he’d requested advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peters said “of course, they’re busy working on it as we speak”.
“I’ve asked them for a comprehensive paper covering all issues they can imagine.”
A draft charter for the organisation, which will be chaired by Trump, has been sent to a number of world leaders – including Canada’s Mark Carney, Australia’s Anthony Albanese, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Opposition leaders have condemned the invite, with Labour leader Chris Hipkins labelling the government’s so-far refusal to rule out joining the Board an “absolute disgrace”.
He said the fact Luxon was leaving the possibility open was “embarrassing for New Zealand”.
Greens-co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick had written to the Prime Minister on Monday, urging Luxon to “publicly and unequivocally reject this invitation”.
“It is critical that New Zealand joins like-minded nations, such as France, in rejecting the Board and defending the United Nations framework,” the letter read.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
