Prime Minister Luxon visits Tokyo 16 – 19 June

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited Tokyo for three days, accompanied by a senior business delegation, media contingent and Māori kapa haka performance group. Prime Minister Luxon highlighted the growing demand for New Zealand’s high-quality food, beverage and supplements in Japan through showcase events including at Costco, enjoying sushi made with New Zealand seafood, and introducing kawaii canines to New Zealand pet food.
Prime Minister Luxon launched a new Tourism New Zealand campaign, promoted rugby and education connections and witnessed his delegation closing business deals(external link). Commercial deals such at Rocket Lab’s satellite launch deal with Synspective, and a deal between Christchurch-based Fabrum to supply its proprietary liquid hydrogen storage system to Toyota demonstrated New Zealand’s credentials as a partner for Japan in renewable energy, science and innovation, and space.
In a Strategic Security speech(external link), the Prime Minister outlined New Zealand’s vision for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Indo Pacific as well as his desire to grow our international trade connections and support business success with the following message: prosperity is only possible with security.
The visit culminated in a bilateral meeting(external link) with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio followed by a state dinner. The two Prime Ministers announced the in-principle conclusion of an Information Security Agreement, which will allow the two countries to share a wider range of information with each other, and welcomed the forthcoming launch of a jointly funded bilateral scientific research programme.

For the full report, click here