Winston Peters: Foreign Affairs Minister on US trip, meeting with Marco Rubio and Trump administration members

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is in the United States this week, meeting with members of the Trump Administration.

On Wednesday he will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Peters says he is approaching the administration with "eyes wide open and prepared to listen."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A big week for the country, as we've alluded to,

(00:01):
as we come face to face with the Trump administration
for the first time. Foreign to his minister, Winston Peters
is in the state to had up a meeting with
the Secretary of State Marco Rubia, and mister Peter's with
this good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
How do you approach the Trump administration?

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Well, we're approaching the Trump administration with our eyes wide
open and prepared to listen, hear them out, hear their
side of the story, and make sure that we get
a chance to accurately present our side of the.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Story as well.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
What is our side of the story? And I mean,
how far down the track of our relationship do you
go in one single meeting with a guy like Rubio.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, with a guy like Rubio, we'd go there well
prepared because we've had probably now over a year getting
ready well before the US elections in November, getting our
team mady for change if there was and we thought
there would be a change to a Trump administration. So
we're seeing all those people, We're ensuring that they're in
contact with Ruvia. I'm going to see somebody who knows

(00:57):
a lot about us, about me, will well before my
meeting with it tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
I always thought, Ruby, I'll be interested in your take
on him. I always thought he's a top intellect, very
solid understanding of world affairs, and that's before you get
to the presidential side of the equation. Do you see
him in a similar light.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
I've been observing his career for quite a considerable time.
I think he's come an awful long way. I think
it's very very experienced, very talented. But you know, there
are others. The National Security Advisor Mike Walsh we're seeing today,
and also the us AID Peter Morico. We've seen him
that's ahead of USA. We're seeing him tomorrow as well.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
So what specifically are you looking to get out of
the Rubio meeting.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Well, look, our first meeting, but we've suken off the
phone and discussed at the time how critical this country
called New Zealand is to the United States in terms
of the Blue Continent, the Pacific. We're very very important member.
Also our long standing record on democracy, freedom, liberty, all
the things that the American people regard as being important.

(02:06):
And then in the big picture, the challenges we joint
leave base going through into the future. So it's a
chance to catch up, but also to spend a lot
of time getting ready for him by talking to so
many of his people who are connected both for the
president and himself.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
I'm assume you're aware because before you left the country.
But crys Ladell was speaking at the investment conference on Friday,
and he's got experience with Trump. Of course, he said
keep your head down, not used personally, but New Zealand,
keep your head down. Is that good advice?

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Well, that's been my precise advice to the administration in
New Zealand from the work go keep our head down,
wait till the doth settles before we make any decisions.
So I was very pleased that Christal Ell came in
and said the same thing, because we needed to show
some experience in this matter right here, right now.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
How aware or how on the radar do you honestly
think New Zealand is I mean, do we touch on
Orcus and five eyes and all of that sort of
thing or not?

Speaker 3 (03:02):
Well, we do, but then a different way where it's
in New Zealand's case. The discussion has been going on
since twenty twenty one on Pillar two, but on the
other issues, we'd like to know going forward what progress
they're making in those areas.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
But New Zealand's not just a spectator.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
New Zealand has been a significant country over a long
period of time where American interests are concerned, and our
job is some.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
To remind people of that.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
As regards to the Pacific, in what has been happening
in the Pacific recently, particularly with the Chinese, do you
think that's on their radar in a major way.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
I believe it's on their radar, and I believe it's
If it's not in a major way, then it needs
to be.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
That'll be part of the discussion we.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Have what needs to happen from your point of view,
So you can walk out of this by the end
of the week saying that's a success.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Oh I look, if we're going to make those sorts
of househould, I say, that's a fair question to ask.
But if any politicians starts reacting to that, then I
think it'll be normally premature.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
This is a stage by stage, build by build confidence and.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
Belief in what we're both as a country, saying we're
a small country but an important one, and to say
that at the end of the week we've had successful
discussions will be enough, providing we've got a commitment to
take those discussions forward in a seriously meaning way both
respected trade and with respect to security.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
All right, go, well, well that Winston plet does in
Washington for us this morning.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
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