Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And joining us now from Lasos. Sophie Trigger, senior political
reporter from News trokxeed by, Good afternoon, Sophie.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Gelder Francisca, how are you good?
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Thanks? What have been the highlights of this very busy
trip that the Prime Minister has had.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yes, it's been. It's been an absolute whirlwind thirty six
hours or so we've had here in Laos with the
Prime Minister meeting a number of world leaders, including that
all important meeting with Indian Prime Minister Orandra Mody, which
I spoke about yesterday, and that took place in the
early hours of this morning New Zealand time. It was
a warm extrift between the pair. I was in the
(00:34):
room for the opening remarks and Mody spoke to Luxon
through a translator, saying it was a pleasure to finally
meet him and talk through some important issues, and he
later invited Luxon to visit him in India, a visit that,
as we discuss, would be critical to Luckson's goal of
a free trade agreement this term. Luxon said he and
(00:54):
Mody did actually discuss a free trade agreement in this meeting,
and he said Mody was keen to progress trade connections. Further,
the pair appeared quite close at last night's gala dinner,
and Luxen made a bit of a beeline for Mody
at the East Asia Summit, which began about an hour ago.
So Luxon says that there actually is quite a warm
(01:17):
and genuine connection between the pair. Now. There was also
another really interesting first time meeting ahead of this sit
down with Mody. This one slightly more impromptu, was a
handshake between Chris luxein and new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Shiba,
and Luxan shook Ashiba's hand and congratulated him on recently
(01:39):
becoming prime minister.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
What's on the agenda for the summit meeting tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, so that's happening as we speak, Francesca. Obviously, the
East Asia Summit is the reason we are all here
in Laos this week, and it's a really significant international
forum because aside from the Asian partners who convened the
there are quite a lot of major world powers here
as well, the US, China, Russia, India, And speaking to
(02:08):
Luxon earlier today, he says regional security will be really
high on the agenda, and he spoke about how connected
this is as well to New Zealand's trade relationships. There
are tensions in the disputed era of the South China Sea,
for example, not to mention worries around North Korea's nuclear
and ballistic missile program, and conflict in this region would
(02:30):
have the potential to seriously disrupt disrupt trade routes that
are really important to New Zealand. So this makes peace
in the region not only critical for reasons of security,
but also for economic reasons. So, as I mentioned, this
meeting is taking place as we speak, and will be
interested to perhaps hear a bit from lux and afterwards
(02:50):
about what might have been raised.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And Sophie Wind does a summit wrap up?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
It should it should be wrapping up within within a
few hours. Right, will be off home home to New
Zealand shortly.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oi Kidoki and look, talking about hitting back home. Immigration
numbers out today, they're pretty grim. What's the government's response been.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, that's right. The numbers that have come out today
show that more people are moving out of New Zealand
than ever before. I think it was an annual net
migration gain of nearly fifty four thousand people in the
year to August. So definitely not what the government will
be wanting. And when we spoke to Chris Luxen about this,
he says he is trying to build the kind of
(03:32):
New Zealand where people see a future for themselves and
their kids, growing the economy and providing better public services.
And he also says a big part of growing the
economy and making New Zealand a better place to be
long term is harnessing those international ties, establishing strong trade links,
which is part of what he's doing here in Southeast
(03:53):
Asia this week, and he also talked a bit about
this when addressing the Business and Investment Summit last night,
where he made a keynote address. Luxon spoke about promoting
New Zealand is a great place to work and travel,
as well as putting out a bit of a call
for investors to perhaps consider New Zealand for their next ventures.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Might take a bit more than that, though, Sophie.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's true, that's true, but yeah. Luxon says that he's
very focused on he believes we'll keep people in New
Zealand and building the economy and sort of bolstering those
public services. He says other things that the government's doing
to keep more people in New Zealand so we'll have
to wait and see as to you know, if these
(04:40):
numbers start to turn around in the coming years.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Sophie, thank you very much for your time today. That
was Sophie Trigger seeing a political reporter from New Stork
zib In Laos. It is eight to five For more
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