OIA 30795 RC Response SIGNED.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

New Zealand Ministry of

Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere

55 Molesworth Street
25 May 2026
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160

New Zealand

T    +64 4 439 8000
RC
F    +64 4 472 9596

[FYI request #34059 email]
OIA 30795

Tēnā koe RC

Thank you for your email of 13 March 2026, in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):

1. What level of communication, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was
involved in, the 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 during the period 20 January 2021 to 25 January 2023. Please
detail all levels of communication whether it be email, video conference calls,
phone calls, texts, written letters or face to face meetings.

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, transcripts of the interaction or copies of letters or
communications held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

On 13 April 2026, the timeframes for responding to your request were extended by an
additional 30 working days because responding to your request necessitated the review
of a large quantity of information, and due to the consultations necessary to make a
decision on your request (section 15A(1)(a) and (b) of the OIA refers).Your request has
been interpreted as being for bilateral communications only. Meetings where former
Prime Minister Ardern met with any of the listed representatives from the
United States in the presence of other world leaders have been deemed to be out of
scope.
Response to your request

The following table outlines meetings between then New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern and President of the United States Joe Biden, Vice President of the
United States Kamala Harris, and/or Secretary of State of the United States Antony
Blinken during the period 20 January 2021 to 25 January 2023, for which the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry) holds the relevant documentation and/or
information within scope of your request.

UNCLASSIFIED

Page 2 of 4
No formal agendas were prepared for the meetings or calls between Prime Minister
Ardern and former President Biden, Vice President Harris and/or Secretary Blinken.
However, a list of briefing topics provided to Prime Minister Ardern has been included,
which serves as a summary of the matters discussed.

Meetings involving Prime Minister Ardern and President Biden,
Vice President Harris, and/or Secretary Blinken
Date
Duration
Meeting
Topics
Decision
16 Jul
15 minutes
Phone call
APEC; COVID-19;
1 topic withheld
2021
with
Climate Change;
under s6(a)
President
Defence and Security;
Biden
Trade; The Pacific
Islands; Summit for
Democracy; Visit
31 May
90 minutes
Meeting with
Ukraine; Defence and
1 topic withheld
2022
President
Security; Pacific
under s6(a)
Biden and
Engagement; Trade and
Secretary
Economic Engagement
Blinken
in the Indo-Pacific;
(during Prime  Christchurch Call to
Minister’s
Action; Climate Change
visit to the
United
States)
31 May
20 minutes
Meeting with
Space; Christchurch

2022
Vice President  Call; Mis and Dis-
Harris (during  Information
Prime
Minister’s
visit to the
United
States)

The documents that act as minutes and/or transcripts for the meetings in the table
above are attached and listed in the table below.

Reports of meetings involving Prime Minister Ardern and President Biden,
Vice President Harris, and/or Secretary Blinken
Date
Meeting
Document title
Decision
26 Jul 2021
Phone call with
FORMAL MESSAGE - PRIME
s6(a); s6(b)(i)
President Biden
MINISTER ARDERN CALL
WITH US PRESIDENT BIDEN
31 May 2022  Meeting with
File Note: Bilateral Meeting
s6(a); s6(b)(i)
President Biden
between Prime Minister
and Secretary
Jacinda Ardern and President
Blinken
Joe Biden, 31 May 2022,
Washington DC

Page 3 of 4
31 May 2022  Meeting with
File Note: Meeting between
s6(a); s6(b)(i)
Vice President
Prime Minister Ardern and Vice
Harris
President Harris: 31 May 2022

16 Jun 2022  Meetings with
FORMAL MESSAGE: VISIT OF
Out of scope;
President Biden
PRIME MINISTER TO THE
s6(a); s6(b)(i)
and Vice President
UNITED STATES: POLITICAL
Harris (PM’s visit to  CALLS IN WASHINGTON DC
the United States)

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; and
•
6(b)(i): to protect the passing of information from another government on a
confidential basis.

The website of the United States Embassy and Consulate in New Zealand contains
information relating to Prime Minister Ardern’s May 2022 visit to the White House, which
may be of interest to you. It can be found at: https://nz.usembassy.gov/prime-minister-
ardern-at-the-white-house/.

The following table shows formal correspondence involving Prime Minister Ardern and
President Biden or Vice President Harris. Please note that the Ministry does not hold
final copies of some of Prime Minister Ardern’s correspondence. In these cases, draft
copies of the correspondence are withheld in full 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; and
•
9(2)(g)(i): to protect the free and frank expression of opinions by departments.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, no public interest
in releasing the information has been identified that would override the reasons for
withholding it.
Formal correspondence involving Prime Minister Ardern and President Biden or
Vice President Harris
Date
From
To
Decision
No date
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
Release in full
5 Feb 2021
President Biden
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full
12 Feb 2021
Vice President Harris
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full
9 Mar 2021
President Biden
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full
25 Mar 2021
President Biden
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full
No date
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
6(a); 9(2)(g)(i)
24 May 2021
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
Release in full
27 May 2021
President Biden
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full
No date
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
6(a); 9(2)(g)(i)
27 Aug 2021
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
Release in full
9 Nov 2021
President Biden
Prime Minister Ardern
Release in full

Page 4 of 4
No date
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
Release in full
9 Jun 2022
Prime Minister Ardern
President Biden
Release in full
9 Jun 2022
Prime Minister Ardern
Vice President Harris
Release in full
The Ministry does not hold any correspondence in scope of your request involving
Secretary Blinken. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of
the OIA, as the information does not exist.

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