New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Ministers Nanaia Mahuta made the statement following the talks with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on November 16.
"Indo-Pacific is a region that is open for trade and investment, an inclusive region, a region with sovereignty that is respected by all countries, big and small, a region that strives for peace and stability. I reaffirm New Zealand's commitment to the Indo-Pacific and ASEAN as its center, with a region that is based on the law, including UNCLOS," Mahuta was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Aside from bilateral cooperation in health, energy, and economy, the two ministers also discussed regional issues, including the situation in Myanmar and Afghanistan during their talks.
Regarding the COVID-19 combat, they affirmed the significance of ensuring fair access to vaccines for all countries to soon contain the pandemic.