By Mike Houlahan of
Covid-19 has been an all-dominating distraction from international relations, but also shows how important New Zealand s relationships with other countries are, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta. (File photo).
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Opening the two-day annual Foreign Policy School at the University of Otago last night, Mahuta gave a wide-ranging assessment of New Zealand s foreign policy issues - trade negotiations, climate change, human rights and even an outline of her thoughts on how to administer outer space.
But the impact of the global pandemic and the diplomatic challenges and opportunities posed by it were a recurrent theme.