UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
195 Lambton Quay
29 January 2025
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
RC
OIA 29813
[FYI request #28942 email]
Tēnā koe RC
Thank you for your email of 29 October 2024, transferred from the Prime Ministers Office
on 8 November 2024, in which you request the following under the Official Information
Act 1982 (OIA):
1- What level of communication you had with the President of the United States,
the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of State of the United
States. Please details all levels of communication whether it be email, video
conference calls, phone calls, texts, written letters or face to face meeting
2- How long each level of communication lasted
3-
What was the key agenda items of the communication.
4-
Any meeting minutes, transcript of the interaction or copies of letters or
communications if available.
On
15 November 2024 you agreed to refine the scope of your request to be for:
1- What level of communication, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was
involved in, has the current Prime Minister of New Zealand has had with the
President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States and the
Secretary of State of the United States since 27 November 2023. Please details
all levels of communication whether it be email, video conference calls, phone
calls, texts, written letters or face to face meeting
2- How long each level of communication lasted
3- Copies of the key agendas prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
for the aforementioned communications
4- Copies of meeting minutes, transcript of the interaction or copies of letters or
communications held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
On 13 December 2024, the timeframes for responding to your request were extended by
an additional 20 working days due to the consultations necessary to make a decision on
your request (section 15A(1)(b) of the OIA refers).
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 5
The following table contains the instances where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade (the Ministry) prepared advice and reporting for the Prime Minister in his meetings
with President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken:
Date of
Rt Hon
Type of Length of Brief for
Reporting from
coms
Christopher coms
coms
meeting
meeting
Luxon Met
with
11 July 2024
President
In-person 10 minutes Please see
Please refer to
(NATO)
Biden
attached meeting
annex 2.
briefing.
11 July 2024
Secretary
In-person 15 minutes N/A – no briefing
(NATO)
Blinken
was prepared.
11 October
Secretary
In-person 5 minutes
Please refer to
Please refer to
2024 (EAS)
Blinken
annex 1.
annex 3.
Please note that in addition to the above meeting, President Biden hosted a dinner for all
NATO leaders on 10 July 2024 which was attended by Rt Hon Christopher Luxon. The
formal note captured in
Annex 3 captures this meeting’s record.
Some information is withheld under the following sections of the OIA:
•
6(a): to avoid prejudicing the security or defence of New Zealand or the
international relations of the New Zealand Government;
•
6(b)(i): to protect the passing of information from another government on a
confidential basis;9(2)(f)(iv): to protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by
Ministers of the Crown and officials; and,
•
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Page 3 of 5
Annex 1:
Extract of “RT HON CHRISTOPHER LUXON PRIME MINISTER EAST ASIA
SUMMIT, LAOS 9 – 12 OCTOBER 2024 EVENT BRIEFING MATERIAL” (section
16(1)(e) of the OIA refers)
Remainder of document out of scope of request.
- Note recent New Zealand defence engagement, including
Taiwan Strait transit and participation in the MCA exercise
(Maritime Cooperation Activity).
United States, Anthony
- Reiterate New Zealand’s support for the IP4, including
BLINKEN
outside of NATO settings.
- Note your discussion with Kurt Campbell at the Pacific
Islands Forum and acknowledge the tremendous
successes from the Biden Administration’s increased
attention to the region.
Page 4 of 5
Annex 2:
Extract of “FORMAL MESSAGE: UNITED STATES: VISIT TO WASHINGTON DC BY
PRIME MINISTER LUXON” (section 16(1)(e) of the OIA refers)
Dated 16 July 2024
Remainder of document out of scope of request.
Prime Minister Luxon had engagements with President Biden at the White House dinner
on 10 July and a brief pull aside on 11 July in the margins of the NATO
Summit. Secretary of State Blinken was also present for the latter.
[s6(b)(i)] Luxon
praised the leadership of the President Biden and his administration on the US’s
increased engagement in the South Pacific and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Extract of “PM informal interactions at NATO” (section 16(1)(e) of the OIA
refers)
Dated 14 July 2024
Remainder of document out of scope of request.
The President made a particular point of spending time with the IP4 leaders collectively.
[s6(a) and s6(b)(i)]
Secretary of State Blinken grabbed the President and ensured PM Luxon had his own
moment with the POTUS.
[s6(b)(i)] The PM praised the leadership of the Biden Admin,
not just in its return to the SW Pacific, but also in the wider Indo-Pacific.
Page 5 of 5
Annex 3:
Extract of “FORMAL MESSAGE: PRIME MINISTER AT EAST ASIA SUMMIT IN
LAOS, 9-12 OCTOBER 2024” (section 16(1)(e) of the OIA refers)
Dated 17 October 2024
Remainder of document out of scope of request.
In addition to the formal bilaterals, the Prime Minister also had
[out of scope] short
exchanges with
[out of scope] US Secretary of State Blinken.
